Shea butter

Food-grade shea butter can be used as a cooking fat, but its rich, distinctive flavour is best suited to recipes that traditionally call for it. Add it to stews or sauces, or use it for frying; avoid using cosmetic shea butter in food.

Warm it gently in a small pan over a low heat, stirring until just melted. For better control, set a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water; take it off the heat as soon as it is liquid.

Keep food-grade shea butter tightly covered in a cool, dark, dry cupboard, away from the cooker and direct sunlight. Use a clean, dry spoon each time, and discard it if it develops an unpleasant rancid smell or flavour.

It has a rich, nutty, sometimes smoky flavour. Use a little in savoury stews, soups or sauces, especially with beans, grains and root vegetables; its strong taste can overwhelm delicate dishes.

They come from the same shea nuts, but shea butter is the solid fat at room temperature, while shea oil is liquid. Both are almost entirely fat; shea butter contains 43 g of saturated fat per 100 g.

Shea nuts are dried, cracked and ground, then kneaded with water so the fat separates from the nut paste. The extracted fat is heated and strained; traditional methods and the resulting flavour vary.

No—only use shea butter explicitly sold as food. Cosmetic products may contain fragrances, preservatives or other ingredients that are not intended to be eaten.