It’s easy to take people, places, and things for granted. Such is often the case regarding the coconut tree, which lines warm seas and sun-kissed beaches. Aside from its aesthetic value, the coconut tree is used for food, clothing, shelter, and in some cases, its medicinal value.
Location
Some professionals believe the coconut palm is native to a region including Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Australia, New Guinea, and particular clusters of Pacific islands. It’s estimated that trees were grown for use as far back as 3,000 years ago. In the modern era, coconut palms grow in the tropics, south of the equator.
Ideal growing conditions need free-draining, aerated soil, humidity, and temperatures ranging from 80 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Humans are largely responsible for distributing the coconut palm to different regions. Since coconuts are portable and take a long time to go bad, they were carried in ships by many explorers. Also, since they are resistant to saltwater, coconuts can float and ride currents very long distances, germinating even after three months at sea.
Variety
Two kinds, tall and dwarf, exist. Commercial planters usually seek the taller variety, which has a lifespan of over 60 years. Since they can live beyond 80 years, the taller variety is referred as the “three-generation tree.” Slow to mature, the taller coconut trees don’t begin bearing coconuts until six to 10 years of age. A mature tree can grow as tall as 100 feet with leaves as long as 10-15 feet. The dwarf coconut tree grows to a third of the size yet commercially valuable because it bears coconuts earlier.
While “nut” is in the name, coconuts are considered fruits, “drupes” specifically, along with peaches, plums, and cherries due to the stone cores that encase the fruits’ seeds. Coconuts grow in groups of 10-20. Each has an outer rind, called an epicarp, a husk or mesocarp, and a stony shell on the inside (an endocarp). The germination pores are called the “monkey face.”
It takes about a year for a coconut to mature into a ripe fruit, experiencing four stages as it reaches maturity. A green, immature coconut can yield about a liter of sweet juice. As mentioned in the introduction, the coconut has medicinal purposes; during World War II, the liquid was used rather than saline drips.
A layer of “meat” begins to form in the second stage, lining the inner shell. The meat, with a hardboiled egg consistency, can be eaten with a spoon. In the third stage while still hanging on the tree, the inner lining hardens as the juice turns into a tasteless water. The meat, when shredded, can be used for cooking or dried to produce oil. In the final stage, the inner shell, absorbing the liquid and the meat, forms a sweet apple, which can be eaten.
Aside from the juice inside the fruit, the coconut tree provides another liquid, which comes from the flowering stalk. The sap is packed with nutrients and is enjoyed daily by many tropical cultures. The sap may be boiled to produce syrup or fermented to serve as an alcoholic beverage. Sometimes confused with juice, coconut milk is made from soaking the meat in warm water, filtering the solid material, and allowing the cream to surface.
Yet another delicacy, heart of palm, comes from the tree. Called “millionaire’s salad,” it comes from the stalks of new, unopened leaf shoots. Extracting the heart kills the tree, inspiring the nickname.
Many Uses
The husk of a coconut can be spun into a fiber called coir. Coir is used to make nets, ropes, mats, sewing thread, and more. The leaves can be woven to make hats, baskets, fans, etc. The shell, when carved, makes bowls, spoons, buttons, and other materials. Additionally, all of the tree’s components can be composted into fertilizer, with the leaves used as animal feed. Using coconut oil for cooking is common practice in addition to smoothing and treating skin and hair.
Folklore
Some in the Philippines believe coconuts are responsible for the origin of men and women. Polynesians believe coconut trees only grow where they can hear the sounds of the sea and people.
One legend tells of a young girl who would bath in a lake and was watched by an eel who fell in love with her. She asked her unwilling father if she could marry the eel, but the father decided to kill the eel. Before its death, the eel asked the young girl to have its head buried in a field by her house. The girl would shed tears atop the grave, and after some time, a green shoot appeared, coinciding with the girl’s pregnancy. The plant grew tall and eventually became the first coconut palm. The girl’s son climbed the tree when he got older, yielding the first coconut. As a mark of the eel’s love, each coconut bears the face of the eel, three dark patches for the two eyes and mouth. The mouth hole is the only place on the fruit that bears the sweet juice inside.
Kathy Serrano works as nutritionist and is keen to encourage greater consumer knowledge with her online insights. She has already published her interesting views on a variety of relevant websites.