An oleic-dominant butter
Nilotica is characterised by a higher proportion of oleic acid (C18:1) and a lower stearic acid (C18:0) content than West African shea. Where West African shea leans stearic and firm, Nilotica leans oleic and soft. That balance is the single most useful discriminator between the two subspecies.
Reported values vary by lot and source. Confirm any specific lot against gas chromatography fatty acid analysis (AOCS Ce 1h-05).
A lower melting point, a softer phase
The oleic-rich profile gives Nilotica a melting point below that of West African shea, often reported in the mid-20s to low-30s degrees Celsius for Nilotica against the high-30s to low-40s for West African shea. In practice this is the faster-absorbing, lighter butter phase that formulators value.
Why the Codex standard does not fit Nilotica
This is also why a general shea standard can mislead. The Codex shea standard specifies a melting point range that authentic Nilotica, with its lower melting point, would fail. The Codex fatty acid ranges are too broad to separate the subspecies, the standard's scope is food use rather than cosmetics, it lists no gas chromatography method, and the word nilotica does not appear in it. A standard built around West African shea cannot certify Nilotica.
Confirm against the lot
Published ranges describe the type, not your drum. Because values shift with harvest and source, the responsible step is to confirm each lot against its own gas chromatography analysis rather than relying on a generic figure.
Documentation, not a claim.
Burgess Origin Co is establishing the first U.S. documentation standard for verified Vitellaria nilotica shea butter, authenticated by gas chromatography (AOCS Ce 1h-05) and supported by lot-level Ugandan government laboratory reports.
Request an Originilotica sample with COA Read the white paperFrequently asked
Nilotica typically melts at a lower temperature than West African shea, often reported in the mid-20s to low-30s degrees Celsius, which gives it a softer texture. Confirm any lot by laboratory analysis.
Nilotica is oleic-dominant, with more oleic acid and less stearic acid than West African shea, which is stearic-dominant.
Its higher oleic acid content lowers the melting point, producing a softer, faster-absorbing butter at skin temperature.