Red kapok flowers

Bombax costatum

flower

Fleshy calyces of the red flowers, dried and sold at markets, which thicken the sauces served with tô.

Origin

Savannas of West Africa (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger)

Season (United States)

December to February

Preparation

The dried calyces are pounded into a powder, stirred into the sauce at the end of cooking to thicken it; they are eaten cooked, with the sauce.

Molecules

MucilagesIn small amounts, not counted Anthocyanins

Did you know?

The tree flowers in the middle of the dry season, leafless, and its flowers are gathered from the ground.