The king of vegetables
In botany, coconut is the fruit of Cocos nucifera (Fam. Arecaceae), the coconut palm: it is a long-lived and powerful plant, typical of countries with a warm-temperate climate; native to Indonesia and a symbol of the Pacific islands, the coconut palm is still widely cultivated in India, Thailand, Mexico and Brazil.
The coconut palm lends itself to many purposes: in this regard, it is commonly adorned with the name "king of vegetables'.
Botanical description
The entire trunk, columnar and slender, is covered with annular scars of fallen leaves and racemes; the apical leaves, pinnate and up to 5 meters long, form a crown. The inflorescences, made up of clusters of yellow flowers, are spadiciform and racemose. The fruits, on the other hand, are coconuts, oval and voluminous drupes, weighing 0.5-1.5 kilos each: each drupe is wrapped, on the outside, by a "smooth exocarp, a shell fibrous (mesocarp) in the median part, while the endocarp is woody and very hard.
The inside, edible, consists of a white pulp with a pleasant, sweet and delicate flavor, containing coconut milk.
There are several varieties of coconut palms: tall varieties are generally very long-lived and survive well beyond 80 years. Dwarf coconut palms, as the term itself suggests, reach much lower heights than the previous variety (max. 12 meters). There are, then, other varieties of coconut palms that do not fit neither among the tall varieties, nor among the dwarf ones, since they have peculiar and intermediate characters.
Uses of coconut
Coconut lends itself to many purposes: the water contained within the fruit, the so-called coconut water, boasts refreshing, diuretic and mildly laxative properties. But that's not all: the liquid is also used for the preparation of fermentable beverages, such as palm wines.
Coconut oil (or margarine), of high economic importance, is obtained from the almond (copra) of the fruit: this represents the matrix for the production of the oil, given its high content in lipid terms (65% fat) .
Sometimes, coconut oil is also used as animal feed: in fact, by-products are obtained from copra, known as copra panels, useful for these purposes.
Through the incision of the inflorescences, a useful sap is obtained for the production of palm vinegar, wine, sugar and brandy. Even the young buds (or coconut palm cabbage) can be used for food.
In Tahiti, coconut milk is believed to be particularly suitable for the sick and convalescents, as it nourishes without burdening the stomach.
However, coconut is not only used in the food sector: in fact, the fibers of the mesocarp are useful for making rugs, ropes, hats, brushes and baskets.
The oil obtained from coconut is also used in the cosmetic industry for the production of soaps, foams and shaving creams, thanks to its foaming power. Furthermore, coconut milk applied to the skin in the form of creams or ointments, has emollient and soothing properties, making the skin soft and elastic: in this regard, it is particularly suitable for dry and arid skin.
The trunk of the coconut palm is also used: the wood is used for the production of furniture or even for the construction of typically rural houses. The leaves are also used in the "building" sector for covering the roofs of huts.
Coconut oil is also used in phytotherapy, for the production of antiviral, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antimicrobial and antiseptic (disinfectant) products.
How to Open and Clean the Coconut
Opening and cleaning the coconut ... easy to say! In the video, our personal cooker is looking for the ideal technique to open and clean the coconut ...
How to Open and Clean the Coconut
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Summary
Coconut: in short
- Coconut palm: arboreal monocotyledon, robust, capable of reaching high heights
- Habitat: hostile environments, sandy soils, sustains high degrees of salinity
- Trunk: columnar and slender
- Leaves: apical, pinnate and up to 5 meters long (forming a crown)
- Inflorescences: racemose, consisting of small groups of yellow and spadiciform flowers
- Fruits (coconuts): oval and voluminous drupes, weighing 0.5-1.5 kilos each
- Coconut exocarp: smooth
- Mesocarp of the coconut: fibrous
- Endocarp: woody and very hard
- Internal part: edible, consisting of a white pulp with a pleasant, sweet and delicate flavor, containing coconut milk
Coconut pulp: eaten fresh or used to extract coconut oil or, again, for the production of coconut flour
Coconut oil (or margarine): obtained from the almond (copra) of the fruit, matrix for the production of coconut oil, also used as animal feed
From the incision of the inflorescences a useful sap is obtained for the production of palm vinegar, wine, sugar and brandy
Young buds (or coconut palm cabbage): used for food
Coconut milk: applied to the skin in the form of creams or ointments, it has emollient and soothing properties. Indicated for dry and arid skin
Coconut palm leaves: also used for roofing huts
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