Palo santo and rise of natural, healthy goods from the tropics

The Western, technologically advanced world, continues to seek out nature. Each day there is a product sold in specialist health shops. It is usually quite expensive.

Then within five to ten years becomes available in fairly cheaper mainstream super markets and shops. One good example is the coconut.

Twenty years ago here in London you hardly saw any organic coconut juice let alone soaps and oils. For us from tropical countries, we would use coconut (oils especially) because we were used to it. But not the juice. Coconut juice was rare.

You had to travel back home to sip Madafu or Tui la Nazi. Fast forward 2019 and coconut is one of the biggest tropical trophies.

When it was first on the market around 2009 to 2012, coconut was very, very highly priced. It was astonishing (and shocking) buying a fresh, organic coconut one litre of juice for five to ten pounds (15 to 30 thousand shillings) - and this only in specialist health shops – where the majority of folk do not frequent. Or are cynical - because of the gargantuan, high cost.

Nowadays the money has gone down.

Coconut oil for both skin and cooking for instance, sells at roughly three pounds (ten thousand shillings approx) which is cheap or say, normal by supermarket standards. And this is organic coconut. Readily in mainstream regular supermarkets such as TESCO, Sainsbury, Lidl, Asda and so on.

Hey.

Dear reader, our coconut story today is accompanied by a huge moral theme.

Natural products, readily, commonly, available in tropical societies and especially Africa are being re discovered for big health reasons.

This column has always highlighted how we Africans have embraced Western values (in terms of food and health) while discarding our own. We tend to fall in love with rubbish things that our white friends have found revolting and useless. Such as junk foods.

The success tale of chips and hastily created roadside heavily oiled takeaways is a vivid witness.

Our pals in the USA and Europe have long found these junk meals hazardous. Even fizzy drinks (which we call Soda in Swahili) like Coca-Cola have branched out into Diet Coke and the like.

No wonder if you Google “Benefits of Coconuts” you come up with one listing at least 99 (yes ninety nine!) advantages of the fist -size coastal fruit.

Ranging from soaps, salads, fruits, Madafu, mineral content and well our coastal coconut consumers know this too well. And while we belittle our own coconuts, our rich nation pals have hyped it. Yes coconut is good for you. Coconut heals. Coconut this, coconuts that. Coco. Nuts.

But here we have just singled out one item. There are many others. Sugarcane juice. Nettle tea. Moringa tea. Clove oil. Nutmeg. Brazilian Nuts. Himalayan (pink) salts, Dead Sea salts, etc. The tropics keep on being reminded that they are the cradle, home, root and heaven of health.

And, no wonder...

No wonder.

Recently we are seeing the rise of incense use. For many years incense of all types was used and sold in Asian and Middle East shops. The Church of England uses Frankincense to cleanse the air, before and during worship.

And now?

In homes and healthy institutions...

Palo Santo.

This is a piece of wood, burnt briefly, not only to “purify” the air but heal. Originally from Mexico and Peru, the tree is scientifically called Bursera Graveolens...and in Spanish - the “Holy Stick” (i.e. Palo Santo). Claimed to have been around for centuries - functioning as a medicinal and spiritual, religious item.

Now – slowly, crawling across Europe. The average sale is three times that of normal incense from Asia. Still much unknown in London.

But those who do find it really interesting. To purchase Palo Santo in London is quite difficult. So far the easiest way is through Amazon- where it is carefully and gingerly packaged and sent by post in less than a week.

You do not need to burn too much. Just a little. The scent is as pleasant as liquorice- another pleasant, aromatic plant. Liquorice is a natural sugar located in South Europe and Asia (ie India). Palo Santo is similar in smell.

But difference is you can eat and chew liquorice but Palo Santo is not food- but a cleanser and a healing tool....

Well, well, well.

Why write about this?

We have said again and again, Africa is filled with nature and abundant treasure. But we do not value it. We take our natural reserves granted. We need to acknowledge our own riches and stop glorifying externals. We are very rich. Not in money, but richness in nature- that means alot. A lot.