It is possible that the human use of oil palms dates back 5, 000 years.
At the end of 1800, in the tomb of Abydos (from 3000 BC), archaeologists already discovered some traces of this food. It is believed that the Egyptian importation of palm oil was attributable to the Arab commercial network.
In Central and Western Africa, palm oil (from the Elaeis guineensis plant) has always been used substantially as a condiment. In contrast, European merchants who traded in these areas only imported small quantities. In fact, in the past, palm oil did not arouse great gastronomic interest in the old continent and the favorite fats were of another kind.
Subsequently, it became instead a highly sought after product by British traders who used it as a mechanical lubricant during the industrial revolution.
Palm oil then formed the chemical basis of certain soaps; the first brands to use it were: the British "Lever Brothers" (now Unilever) with the "Sunlight Soap" and the American "Palmolive".
Around 1870, the export of palm oil became the primary commercial activity of some West African countries, such as Ghana and Nigeria, although in the following decade it was exceeded by that of cocoa.
