Internationally known by its South-African name, Marula, the dania is a dietary tree whose usage is supposed to surpass 10 000 years (Hall, 2002). Today, it is the object of exportation of oils and luxury liquors from countries such as Botswana, Namibia and South Africa; yet it remains under-exploited in West-Africa. This deciduous tree gives, almost miraculously, its juicy fruits at the end of the dry season, in the months of May and June (Garvi, pers. obs.). This is a period when cereal stocks start to get low, when the Sahelian ecosystem produces little and when the need for food and income start to get high in the rural populations.
The pulp of the ripe fruits has a sweet and pleasantly sour flavor. It contains a concentration of vitamin C that is three to four times as high as in oranges (National Research Council, 2008) and is rich in antioxidants and calcium (Hassan et al., 2010). The nut, with noble flavor as well, is high in calories, containing 700 calories per 100 grams. The nuts are rich in oil (47%), proteins (36%), copper, magnesium and zinc (Glew, 2004). The profile of its fatty acids are close to that of olive oil, with a high capacity of mono-unsaturated fatty acids (National Research Council, 2008). When unshelled, they can be stored for years, making them an excellent candidate for storage in case of drought and famine. The leaves are frequently used when young in cooking and with their 74% of carbohydrates (dry mass) (Eurofins, 2014), they are a great resource for populations during the dry seasons. These leaves are even recommended by physicians as a anti-hyperglycemia product for diabetics (Karimou, 2014).
Dania grows naturally through practically all of sub-Saharan Africa, between the isohyetes of 200 and 1000 millimeters. Nevertheless, the species has receded a lot in the Sahel during the last century due to cutting for firewood and the removal of the bark for medicinal uses. The plant is also dioecious, meaning the trees are either male or female. It is important to raise awareness of this phenomenon, as male trees might be cut for lack of fruits, while being indispensable for pollination.