The coconut palm has to be the world’s most versatile tree. In the tropics, not a part of the tree is wasted. It provides shade and shelter, the trunk can be fashioned into bowls or part of an outrigger canoe, the leaves can be woven into baskets, the husk turned into fibre and the leaves matted together for roofing.
And, of course, the flesh of the coconut is nutritious, the juice is a great thirst quencher and, once you know how, the trees are easy to climb to access the fruit. There are actually two liquids in a coconut – the fresh coconut juice from the green coconut (which is so pure you can use it as a saline drip in an emergency!) and coconut milk, which is extracted from the flesh of mature coconuts. The jewel of the coconut tree is the heart of the palm. This is a delicacy and ‘heart of palm salad’ is known as millionaire’s salad because you have to kill the tree to get to the heart.
In some Cook Island wedding ceremonies, couples seal their vows with the planting of small coconut palms (otu). The symbolism is that while the coconut palm matures and grows stronger, so too will the relationship.
There is a saying referring to ‘island time’ in the Pacific – “the coconut will fall when it is ripe”… Oh! And it is a good idea to check for any ripe hovering ones above before lying down for a sleep in the shade.
Photo: Coconut Palm at Erakor Island Resort in Vanuatu