Because palm oil added calories and flavor to traditional African dishes, it entrenched itself in the culinary landscape long before it became a product of corporate agriculture. The following pictures illustrate the basic technologies developed to garner the most from the oily seeds/fruits of the African oil palm:

Preparing the oil seeds for processing (Photo credit: One Village Initiative)

Boiling the palm oil fruits. (Photo credit: One Village Initiative)

Stirring the boiled palm oil fruits.

Pressing the palm oil seeds.

Palm oil seed fibers.

Palm oil in all its orangeness. (Photo credit: One Village Initiative)