Abstract: A method for producing a hard butter fraction useful as a cacao butter substitute from a shea fat by fractionation thereof, which comprises dissolving the shea fat in a low-polar solvent: n-hexane and separating the gummy unsaponifiable substances (gums) which are precipitated at a low temperature (e.g. -30.degree. to 5.degree. C) to give the desired hard butter fraction, by utilizing the difference in the solubilities of the hard butter fraction and the gummy unsaponifiable substances in the solvent.

Abstract: A method for producing improved shea fat suitable for hard butter, which comprises treating a raw shea fat with a lower aliphatic alcohol (e.g. ethanol, propanol or isopropanol), removing the alcohol-insoluble portion, cooling the remaining solution to separate into two layers, the upper layer being oil-poor and the lower layer being oil-rich, and collecting the latter oil-rich layer, said lower layer being usually subjected to a solvent fractionation with n-hexane, acetone or methyl ethyl ketone. The improved shea fat is admixed with an intermediate fraction of palm oil to give the desired hard butter having superior tempering properties.