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Now I ask you, what typifies the tropics more than a cold tropical drink served in a hollowed out coconut shell, with a little paper umbrella sticking out the top? But wait...there is so much more to this little brown nut. Please let me explain...
Once a year, for a few months the "Grounds Maintenance Department" here on Kwajalein goes around the island and cuts down ripening coconuts from all the many palm trees on island. This is a very necessary task, because a falling coconut can cause serious injury should it land on an unsuspecting pedestrian or bicycler. And since I can count 86 trees just from my chair on the lanai - without even turning around, and not counting my own six trees - you can see why it takes a few months. It is now that time of year, so coconuts are on my mind. All the baked goodies associated with the recent holidays bring to mind the packaged, processed, "flaked" coconut that many people use in cookies, cakes and pies. And of course, many of those who "imbibe" have enjoyed the wondrous flavors of a Piña Colada, an alcoholic concoction using pineapple juice, coconut and rum...pass the paper umbrellas, please.
Some people have never seen a real, right off the tree coconut. And those who haven't would never associate the sight with those little brown balls that you can find occasionally in your local supermarket. An actual coconut on the tree looks somewhat like a green football, and it is about that size. When we want fresh coconut, we need to find someone willing to climb to the top of some very tall trees to cut one (or more) down. The ones that fall to the ground of their own accord are generally much older nuts, whose water has dried up and the meat is tough. I have a Marshallese friend, Ebil, who does this for a living, and I can generally find him somewhere on island, climbing a tree for just that purpose.
Once the nuts are down, my friend places a strong stick in the ground that has a very sharp point facing up. He strikes the coconut pod, (the green football looking thingy), on the pointed stick and pulls...this separates the husk from the actual seed, or coconut. Now, I could get all technical with the proper botanical names for all these different parts of the coconut, but that has been done already, and if you are interested, you can find all that out the "Plant Files". This is strictly for the fun of it, so I'm sticking with "green football thingy". Once the seed is out of the husk, it starts to resemble something you might recognize, but it isn't dark brown, it is a straw colored ball with a fibrous beard on one end. If you look at the end opposite the beard, you can see three small indentations. Those are a softer part of the seed shell, from which the coconut will sprout. More importantly, those are the entryway INTO the wondrous sphere. Looking at those three little circles, one can almost see a face - two eyes and a mouth. The spacing of the circles usually makes it pretty clear which is which, and the one we are interested in is the mouth. This indentation is generally softer than the others are, and easily pierced with a hammer and large nail, making just the right size hole for a straw.
The smaller, greener coconuts contain a naturally effervescent water that is sweet and refreshing. If you have only had the water from the older brown nuts sold in stores, you probably think of this water as bitter and dull. Believe me, the difference is worlds apart. My Marshallese friends just find the soft spot by the mouth and strike the nut against something hard to break it open and enjoy a very satisfying and healthy drink. Now this water is not to be confused with coconut milk, which is created by pouring warm water or milk over freshly grated coconut meat and pressing the oils out through a sieve or cheese cloth. Once the oils have been pressed out - the meat is dry and tasteless, but is good food for animals (or plants!).
If you are more interested in the coconut meat inside, there are many ways to get to it. You can wrap it in an old towel or bag and whack at it with a hammer. You can use a very sharp knife, hide your loved ones in another room, and tap the knife into the shell (again at the mouth), and then work the knife back and forth to create a hole large enough to scoop out the meat. Or you can whack the nut against something hard and then separate it along the three seams between the "face". Again, there are many ways to remove the meat from the shell. Some favor the sharp knife and precision cuts. I find that a butter or other type of dull knife slipped between the meat and the shell and then worked a bit will cause the meat to "pop" off in chunks that can then be grated for cooking or pressing or just snacked on at your leisure. In the younger coconuts, once the water is gone there is a gelatinous layer of coconut before you get to the meat...this is very sweet and soft, and is often used in the preparation of coconut ice cream. The older the nut, the less of this soft substance, which is why you will rarely find it in supermarket nuts.
The Coconut Palm is sometimes referred to as the "Tree of Life", and island people will use every little bit of the tree from the roots to the fronds, nuts, bark and wood. I will be happy to go into all of that some other time. But for right now I am going to cut a pineapple, slush some of it up with some freshly grated coconut, add a bit of rum, slush that up in a blender with some ice, and then go watch the sunset. Oh, mustn't forget the paper umbrella! Enjoy!
About Shari Scott
For most of my 53 years I have been an avid traveler, and luckily I married one as well. We are now living (for the 2nd time) on the tiny island of Kwajalein in the middle of the Pacific. I have gardened in places as varied as the Rocky Mountains and the desert of Saudi Arabia, and many points in between. My passions include, but are not limited to: Family, friends, music, good conversation, and the wonders to be found in the oceans of our planet.
Posted by gleichen (from gleichen
(Canada)) on February 13, 2008 at 9:59 AM:
Brings back my days in Hawaii. We're sitting here in a mini blizzard this morning up in Alberta, Canada, having just gone through 2 weeks of -40 or worse temperatures. But next month we, the insanely hardy, will be out in heavy sweaters trying to catch the first "spring" rays and the first sunburn. I ask myself every October why I am here when I know there are warmer places in the world, but it makes the regeneration in the garden so much sweeter when you have been denied all priviledges for so long. Thanks Shari, for sharing memories.
...
Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on February 14, 2008 at 4:34 PM:
My pleasure Gleichen! Happy to share a little sunshine. We have some visitors from Alberta on the island at the moment, I met them two nights ago. Very nice folks from your neck of the woods!
Yokwe,
Shari
...
Subject: Thanks Shari
Posted by Braveheartsmom (from Kihei, HI) on February 12, 2008 at 3:04 AM:
For another great article. Nothing quite like the real, just picked thing, especially in Pina Colada, with fresh pineapple. Yum! Enjoy yours!
...
Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on February 12, 2008 at 3:09 AM:
Mahalo Jenny!
...
Subject: Great article!
Posted by heavenscape (from Jayeville, NC) on February 12, 2008 at 12:10 AM:
This is indeed a well written article Shari.
Don't overlook those old coconuts. In some of them, you would find a small edible growth inside, sometimes as large as a golf ball, and delicious. My siblings and I would fight over them!
Thanks Shari for shedding light to the Tree of Life.
~Jaye
...
Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on February 12, 2008 at 12:22 AM:
Jaye - well that is true - but I was trying to keep that lil secret to myself! :-) Glad you liked the article! Smiles!
Yokwe,,
Shari
...
Subject: Bonnie's Bargain Basement
Posted by BonniesBasement (from Yucaipa, CA) on February 11, 2008 at 6:55 PM:
Shari,
I am going to post part of this article with a link back to it on Bonnie's Bargain Basement's Garden Page. I just wanted to give you the heads up and tell you it is a wonderful article. I was born in Honolulu and when I was twelve and moved to California I would refer to the "Palm Trees" as Coconut Trees and everyone would laugh. You are so right when you say most people have never seen a real coconut off the tree. :-) you made me laugh.
Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on February 11, 2008 at 7:12 PM:
Bonnie, so glad I could share a giggle and a smile. You flatter me with the link!
Yokwe friend,
Shari
...
Posted by mamasita (from Southern Dutchess Co, NY) on February 11, 2008 at 7:39 PM:
Thanks for such a wonderful article. My husband grew up in Miami and is well acquainted with coconut palms. I am a Yankee who had never seen a "real" coconut on the tree until I was in my late 20s- too many years ago! By the same token, there are many people who have never experienced first-hand a "real" New England autumn! Or maple sap being rendered into syrup. Aren't we lucky to have so many different things to enjoy and share!
By the way, do you have a good recipe for that tropical drink described in the article? Those of us in the northeast could sure use a tropical pick-me-up about now!
...
Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on February 11, 2008 at 9:00 PM:
Pina Colada: 1-2 oz light rum
1-2 oz dark rum (both depending on how strong you like it)
3 oz coconut cream (not coconut milk)(fresh if you have or canned if not - Coco Lopez is one brand that comes to mind)
3 -4 oz pineapple juice (the fresher the better)
Blend with or without ice as you prefer - and serve with a pineapple slice.
Enjoy!
...
Posted by mamasita (from Southern Dutchess Co, NY) on February 11, 2008 at 9:32 PM:
Thank you! I'm already feeling warmer!
...
Posted by KyWoods (from Melbourne, KY) on February 11, 2008 at 10:32 PM:
Ok, you're making me miss Hawaii now! Yep, I learned for the first time when I saw them floating near the beaches on Oahu, that they come in a green "football thingie." LOL And my ex, from the Philippines, said they were "coconut trees", as opposed to palms. He told me about the giant coconut crabs that ate them, too. I always thought he was joking until I saw them on some nature show.
I love fresh coconut meat and drinking the sweet juice--don't like the unripened juice, though. Must be an aquired taste.
...
Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on February 11, 2008 at 11:17 PM:
Yes Coconut crabs are huge and scary! Think about it, they open coconuts with their claws, so...... But good eatin though!
...
Subject: lovely article
Posted by Dutchlady1 (from Naples, FL) on February 11, 2008 at 6:52 AM:
sweet memories of my days in Trinidad.... Thanks!
...
Posted by darlindeb (from Claremore, OK) on February 11, 2008 at 10:45 AM:
A fun read. Hope you do another on tropical plants.
...
Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on February 11, 2008 at 11:26 AM:
Ahhhh.... get a little too much sun, Shari, and send me the extra, please.
Actually, you might want to point out that the shredded coconut we buy in the supermarket and cover cakes with is not just sweetened but bleached. It makes me imagine I am ingesting chlorine bleach along with my German chocolate cake or coconut cream pie. Luckily, you can buy unbleached, unsweetened coconut by the tub, and although it may be more than you need for your frosting, you'll then have some extra for snacking. Yummmmmmy!
xxx, Carrie
...
Posted by McGlory (from Southeast, NE) on February 11, 2008 at 12:27 PM:
I just love your articles, Shari. It's 12 degrees here. A little tropical sunshine and some coconut palms overhead sounds wonderful!
...
Posted by darius (from Marion, VA) on February 11, 2008 at 3:56 PM:
Ahhh, The magic of words... you took me right back in time! How well I remember pounding a green coconut husk against a hard surface like a large rock in an effort to finally get the husk off... and then finding the soft eye to drink the water. Loved it and to this day cannot abide any but fresh coconut.
...
Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on February 11, 2008 at 5:58 PM:
Cold here too - this was a refreshing and heart-warming article :)
...
Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on February 11, 2008 at 6:44 PM:
Hetty and Darius - so happy to revive delicious memories!
Thank you all for the kind words. I am happy to have brought a little tropical warmth to wintry days. Carrie - thanks for the reminder. There is no comparison between the taste of real coconut and that processed stuff.
Aloha and Yokwe all!
Shari
...
Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on February 11, 2008 at 11:04 PM:
Some people have never seen a real, right off the tree coconut. And those who haven't would never associate the sight with those little brown balls that you can find occasionally in your local supermarket. An actual coconut on the tree looks somewhat like a green football, and it is about that size. 
When we want fresh coconut, we need to find someone willing to climb to the top of some very tall trees to cut one (or more) down. The ones that fall to the ground of their own accord are generally much older nuts, whose water has dried up and the meat is tough. I have a Marshallese friend, Ebil, who does this for a living, and I can generally find him somewhere on island, climbing a tree for just that purpose. 
He strikes the coconut pod, (the green football looking thingy), on the pointed stick and pulls...this separates the husk from the actual seed, or coconut. Now, I could get all technical with the proper botanical names for all these different parts of the coconut, but that has been done already, and if you are interested, you can find all that out the "Plant Files". This is strictly for the fun of it, so I'm sticking with "green football thingy". Once the seed is out of the husk, it starts to resemble something you might recognize, but it isn't dark brown, it is a straw colored ball with a fibrous beard on one end. If you look at the end opposite the beard, you can see three small indentations. 
Those are a softer part of the seed shell, from which the coconut will sprout. More importantly, those are the entryway INTO the wondrous sphere. Looking at those three little circles, one can almost see a face - two eyes and a mouth. The spacing of the circles usually makes it pretty clear which is which, and the one we are interested in is the mouth. This indentation is generally softer than the others are, and easily pierced with a hammer and large nail, making just the right size hole for a straw.
Believe me, the difference is worlds apart. My Marshallese friends just find the soft spot by the mouth and strike the nut against something hard to break it open and enjoy a very satisfying and healthy drink. Now this water is not to be confused with coconut milk, which is created by pouring warm water or milk over freshly grated coconut meat and pressing the oils out through a sieve or cheese cloth. Once the oils have been pressed out - the meat is dry and tasteless, but is good food for animals (or plants!). 
You can use a very sharp knife, hide your loved ones in another room, and tap the knife into the shell (again at the mouth), and then work the knife back and forth to create a hole large enough to scoop out the meat. Or you can whack the nut against something hard and then separate it along the three seams between the "face". Again, there are many ways to remove the meat from the shell. Some favor the sharp knife and precision cuts. I find that a butter or other type of dull knife slipped between the meat and the shell and then worked a bit will cause the meat to "pop" off in chunks that can then be grated for cooking or pressing or just snacked on at your leisure. In the younger coconuts, once the water is gone there is a gelatinous layer of coconut before you get to the meat...this is very sweet and soft, and is often used in the preparation of coconut ice cream. The older the nut, the less of this soft substance, which is why you will rarely find it in supermarket nuts.
The Coconut Palm is sometimes referred to as the "Tree of Life", and island people will use every little bit of the tree from the roots to the fronds, nuts, bark and wood. I will be happy to go into all of that some other time. But for right now I am going to cut a pineapple, slush some of it up with some freshly grated coconut, add a bit of rum, slush that up in a blender with some ice, and then go watch the sunset. Oh, mustn't forget the paper umbrella! Enjoy!
