Page 80 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

t he s oninke p eople of the Ghana Empire

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The Amazing Baobab Tree

the baobab is one of the biggest and strang-
est trees in the world, and one of the oldest
living things in africa. some trees are more
than 3,000 years old, and the largest mea-
sure more than 90 feet around.
the baobab has been called the upside-
down tree because when its branches are
bare of leaves they look like roots sticking up
in the air. it has also been called the bottle
tree because the thick, absorbent trunk can
store hundreds of gallons of water.
the baobab is sacred to at least one clan
in the western sudan; it is credited with sav-
ing the life of an ancestor who was dying
of thirst before he reached one of the great
trees. the baobab can continue to live when
much of it has been hollowed out, and at
various times and places hollow ones have
been used as people’s homes, storehouses,
workshops, and tombs.
african village women still gather baobab
leaves to mash and boil for use in cooking
sauces. for medicinal purposes, baobab Baobab trees provide food, medicine, and
leaves are pounded and pulped, or dried and shelter.
powdered, to treat a variety of problems,
including breathing and intestinal disorders, is called monkey bread because it is a favor-
fever, and insect bites. when the bark is ite food of monkeys, among other animals.
stripped off a baobab, it simply grows more there is a white pulp inside the pods from
bark, so it can be used without killing the which cream of tartar (used in baking) is
tree. the bark is pounded into fiber that is made. the pulp is also mashed and mixed
used for making baskets, mats, rope, paper, with water to make a tasty drink. the seeds
and bark cloth. are full of vegetable oil and can be grilled and
the fruit of the baobab is a large, fuzzy eaten. the shells of the pods are dried and
pod that looks like a small green football. it made into bowls.