The world over, there exist an extraordinary nut that has traveled around the globe, sometimes through route and sometimes by water, this nuts can equally go by air,with its uniqueness. Coconut is one of the useful nut on earth and is mostly found in the tropical islands.
Coconut fruit has as many uses as there are days in a year even industrial uses too, no wonder the adage, "He who plant coconut tree, plant vessels and clothing,food and drink, a habitation for himself and heritage for children.
In fact, this saying is no exaggeration because the coconut palm supplies not only food, water and oil for cooking, but also leaves for thatch roofs, fiber for ropes and mats, shells that can be used for utensils and ornaments, and the sweet sap of the inflorescence from which sugar and alcohol are made.
In a research report, even the wood if cut in the right way can be useful, according to the report, the inhabitants of the "maldive island" in the Indian Ocean, constructed boat out of coconut products,and it is said that they sailed with it to Arabia and the Philippines.
Truly, coconut is a versatile nut, outside it flavoring and candy bars and cookies. In South East Asia, it was discovered by researchers that coconut is one essential ingredient in their cooking and even up to Hawaii and Bangkok. It forms part of their necessity which they received nourishment from in many forms and through an almost countless variety of dishes and tastes.
There exist countless reasons for coconut pride of place in this region, it is a reality according to the book "pacific and south east Asian cooking" that water, milk,and cooking oil are ingredient gotten from coconut in their daily cooking. The clear sweet liquid that fills the unripe green nut ( coconut juice ) with its delicious refreshing contents is sold at roadside stores in the tropics.
Processes in Coconut.
Coconut milk is obtained from mixing grated coconut flesh with water then squeezed out the liquid content. The milk adds flavor and substance to soups, sauces,and dough. To extract coconut oil, split open the ripe nut, and dry it in the sun, once dry, the flesh of the coconut or the copra, can be separated from the shell and then the oil can be extracted. Coconut oil is useful in cooking and is often used in margarine, ice cream, and other industrial products.
Since coconut is ideal for the skin, manufacturers uses it in lipstick,and suntan lotion, and if you use biodegradable soap or shampoo that makes plenty of lather, coconut oil may well be one of the ingredients.
Harvesting
Harvesting coconut is not an easy task, many farmers in the tropics will climb up the tree and cut off the nuts, whereas, other harvester used a long pole with a knife attached to it in their simple but hard method to novice.
Sometimes, monkeys are trained to do this job of harvesting as they too have a weighty share from the nuts. Some farmers always wait untill the ripe nuts falls on its own to be sure of their harvest.
However it is harvested, the coconut multiple uses have made it one of the ideal cash crop as well as an invaluable source of food for many.
Coconut Curiosity
Humans are not the only ones who appreciates the bounty of the coconut. The coconut crab lives in a hole in the ground during the day, but it feast on the coconut at night. Although humans need a machete to spill open a coconut, this resourceful crab goes through some task to split a coconut by pounding it against a rock untill it cracks open. A diet that includes coconut seems to suit this creature, and it can lived for over 30 years!
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