Climbers use handmade harnesses to harvest palm fruits from 60-foot-tall trees to make red palm oil, which can cost 16 times as much as vegetable oil.
While palm oil is known for being cheap and controversial, red palm oil is artisanally made and much more expensive. The vibrantly colored oil is made from palm fruits and can cost three times as much as its kernel-oil counterpart. Despite the high cost, the handmade oil is a staple in West African households, used to make local dishes like jollof rice and banga soup. But what makes it different from palm oil? And why exactly is it so expensive?
