Chyuri Butter

Aesandra butyracea is a medium- to large-sized, deciduous multipurpose tree, naturally occurring in subtropical and warm temperate areas throughout the Himalayas; from Kumaon hills in the state of Uttarakhand in India through Nepal to Sikkim, Darjeeling, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalaya. The plant is commonly known as a butter tree throughout the Himalayas. It is locally known as 'Chyuri' in Nepal. In Hindi, it is called 'Madhuca', and Sanskrit 'Madhupushpa', translates into English as 'honey flower'. In Dzonkhag, Bhutan's official language, it is known as 'Yika Shing'. In Nepal, there are several vernacular names used by different ethnic communities, such as Yoshi (Chepang), Chyumli (Tamang), Isi (Rai), Imseva (Limbu), Chihuli (Tharu), Ibuchi Pu Ma (Newar) for Chyuri.

The plant is well known for the butter or oil, which has traditionally been used for daily cooking, and also for lighting lamps. The oilcake is used as manure with pesticidal properties, as a fish poison, and as feed for animals after detoxification.

The ripened seed kernels of Chyuri tree yield fat which is used as a substitute for butter/ghee and oil. According to Practical Action, about 18 kg of fruits is required to produce one liter of Chyuri ghee. The fruits are collected and squeezed to liberate the seeds. After cleaning and drying, the seeds are pounded using a traditional pounder, a "Dhiki", into a fine powder. The powder is steamed on a perforated plate over the boiling pan. The oil is then extracted using a traditional oil expeller called a "Chepuwa". The product is bitter in taste due to the high content of impurities such as saponins which are carried along with extracted oil. The ghee needs post-filtration or purification to make it edible. The final product is white with a strong smell and taste. The oil content of the seed is about 50-70% (Practical Action ). Chyuri butter is rich in sugars and other nutrients and is used in daily cooking (Sundriyal and Sundriyal, 2003). It has the consistency of ghee with white color, pleasant taste, and odor. Being rich in sugars and other nutrients, butter is edible (Box 4). It is also a convenient source of natural oleodipalmitin (62%) and is used in soaps, candles, and as medicine to treat gout and rheumatic conditions. The butter is also used for religious purposes such as structuring religious figures or offering butter lamps. The butter contains palmitic acid which soothes itched, and chapped lips, hands, and feet, particularly during winter. The palmitic acid content (56.6%) is the highest yet observed among seed fats (Khanka et al, 2009). The oil is also used as a base for face cream, and as an ointment to ease rheumatism, paralysis, sprains, and contusions. It is also used to make value-added products like soap, candles, and chocolates. Butter is a valuable preservative for mustard and sweet-scented oils.