Illipe Nut

Illipe nut is the common name for the oil-rich kernels of several Shorea species, family Dipterocarpaceae, native to the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, traded together under the name Borneo illipe. The kernels yield a hard, highly saturated fat rich in stearic acid, marketed as illipe butter, which stays solid at room temperature and closely matches the triglyceride profile of cocoa butter. Because of that similarity, illipe butter is approved in the European Union as a cocoa butter equivalent and is blended into chocolate and other confectionery as a stand-in for, or extender of, cocoa butter. The name is a source of confusion in the trade, since the botanically distinct Madhuca-genus tree sometimes also called illipe is used mainly for biodiesel rather than food.