Marula Tree
Elephants and Marula trees
Ladies collecting Marulas
Marula fruit
Marula fruit on branch
Amarula pack shot with fruit and glass
At the height of the
African summer, parts of sub-Saharan Africa, like Phalaborwa in Limpopo, are
filled with the exotic and very alluring fragrance of ripening marula fruits,
golden yellow and sweet with a juicy tang and a hint of nuttiness.
The succulent fruit is
a critical ingredient in Amarula and gives it its unique taste. When ripened by
the sun, it becomes plump with flavour and falls to the ground, gathered by
local rural communities and taken to a series of collection points in and
around Phalaborwa and delivered to Amarula’s production centre in the area.
Harvesters are paid
for every kilogram they deliver to make Amarula, and the proceeds of their
picking have become a valued source of income for their families. Harvesting of
the fruit takes place from January to March every year. It is only the female
trees that bear the delicious yellow-skinned fruits, yielding anything from 500
kilograms to 2 tons of fruit each.
That’s enough not only to feed the elephants
but also to make Amarula.
After individually
checking each fruit for ripeness and superior overall quality, the marulas are
crushed with their skins. The fruit pulp is cooled and maintained at a low
temperature before undergoing a double distillation process. It is then aged in
wood for two years. The final blend is completed with fresh dairy cream.
Visitors to the
Amarula Lapa nearby can experience the deliciously creamy and luxurious taste
of Amarula and learn more about how it’s made. They can also discover the
importance of marula trees to the people who live in the area.
Amarula was awarded
gold at the 2012 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC).
Go to www.amarula.com or www.facebook.com/amarula for
fabulous recipes and more interesting facts about Amarula.
Amarula is available
from leading liquor outlets for around R85 a bottle.
