Doum Palm

Hyphaene thebaica, the doum palm or gingerbread tree, is a palm with an edible oval fruit. It is native to the Arabian Peninsula and the northern half and western part of Africa, where it is widespread in the Sahel and along the Nile and Niger rivers, and it tends to grow where groundwater is present. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees, and grows up to 17 metres. The article says all parts of the tree are useful, and the leaves and fibre are woven into baskets, mats and other goods. Wikipedia says the doum palm was considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians and the seed was found in many pharaohs' tombs; in 2007 an Egyptian team announced eight baskets of 3,000-year-old doum fruit in King Tutankhamun's tomb. The fruit are traditionally offered at funerals.