Marula Fruit | Amarula Cocktails
Marula Legends
The marula forms a sacred and intricate part in rural African life and culture and the magic of the marula truly comes to life during harvest time...
Feast of First Fruits
The ripening of the marula fruits from December to March goes hand in hand with great celebrations throughout Southern Africa, with February/March highlighted as the time of the great harvest and the next planting season.
The marula is so popular in Swaziland that an annual Marula Festival is celebrated at the king's royal residence at Ebuhieni in the Hhohho Region. In keeping with the belief that the marula is a "fruit fit for kings", each household presents the king and queen mother with marula beer. Swazis may only drink the beer afterwards.
The Marriage Tree
One of the many beliefs surrounding the marula tree is that it is a symbol for fertility. Known as a "marriage tree" in the Zulu community, the tree is at the centre of a cleansing ritual before marriage.
Determining Babies' Sex
It is believed that an infusion of the male or female trees' bark can help determine the sex of an unborn child. Amongst the Venda, a woman will consume an infusion from the bark of the male or female tree, depending on whether she wants a girl or boy. If a child of the opposite sex is born, he/she holds the special honour for being able to defy the spirits.
Fertility Fruit
Local lore has it that a woman is more likely to become pregnant when she eats marula fruit. However, it is probably no coincidence that many women are pregnant at the end of January after their migrant men return to their local villages and their wives greet them with marula beer!
The Elephant Tree
Elephants love the taste of marula fruit and will go through all lengths to get the fruit during the harvest season.
The story goes that Hare acted kindly towards Elephant during the year of drought, and was rewarded with a tusk. When Hare planted the tusk in his garden, it grew into a beautiful fruit-bearing tree, which he could enjoy in time of famine. The elephant has since sought out his tusk by devouring hundreds of kilograms of fruit during the marula season.
