{"id":9007,"date":"2021-01-05T14:58:22","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T14:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.kokulisworld.com\/blog\/la-nuez-de-tagua-el-marfil-vegetal-de-america-del-sur\/"},"modified":"2025-03-31T21:19:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T21:19:12","slug":"tagua-nut-guide-south-americas-vegetable-ivory-vegan-sustainable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kokulisworld.com\/en\/blog\/tagua-nut-guide-south-americas-vegetable-ivory-vegan-sustainable\/","title":{"rendered":"Tagua Nut Guide: South America\u2019s Vegetable Ivory (Vegan, Sustainable)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Tagua nut also known as Vegetable Ivory <\/strong>comes from a genus of palm trees known as Phytelephas Macrocarpa<\/em><\/strong> that are indigenous to the tropical regions of South America. These palms can live up to 180 years and grow to a height of about 8-10 meters and bear fruit after about 10 years in the form of tagua nuts ranging in size of a cherry to a grapefruit.<\/p>

Tagua is pure cellulose and before it matures it has a milky sweet creamy liquid that becomes extremely hard after 4-8 weeks. <\/strong>The structure and grain is similar to that of elephant ivory, but is much more dense and resilient.<\/strong> It resembles the finest ivory texture and the color is slightly softer than normal ivory. Tagua has been known and used by craftsman for years and is viewed as a sustainable alternative to ivory derived from animals<\/strong>, and responsible cultivation and harvesting of tagua may also help with rain forest conservation in South America.<\/strong><\/p>

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For over two hundred years vegetable ivory has been used by ivory carvers to make fashion accessories<\/strong>\u00a0like\u00a0buttons, necklaces, sculptures, figurines, and even chess pieces<\/strong>. Other uses found were\u00a0cane and umbrella handles, pipes,<\/strong>\u00a0sewing needle cases, and the fine art of scrimshaw.<\/p>

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Interesting Facts:<\/strong><\/p>