The green, immature pods of the ma-rum, can be eaten raw or prepared, whereas the mature pods are usually fried.

They also yield an edible oil, which has a nutritional value comparable to that of olive oil and besides being clear, sweet and odourless, it is also said to never becomes rancid.

In addition, the tree also has several medicinal uses and the seeds, especially the seed-cake that remains after the oil has been extracted, have the ability to purify water. Not surprisingly, this tree is sometimes described as nutritional dynamite.