Every part of the coconut can be used to infuse tropical flavor and a dose of healthy fatty acids into all kinds of dishes. The white, fleshy part of the coconut is called the meat. It contains high amounts of manganese, potassium and copper.

Did You Know?

• A coconut tree will live approximately 60 years and generates an average bunch of about 15 coconuts each month.
• The nutritional value of the coconut and its taste vary depending on the stage of maturity the coconut is in.
• During the early stages of its growth, a coconut contains high levels of water, which can be consumed directly as a refreshing drink.
• The meat in mature coconuts is firm and can be eaten fresh or may be used for making shredded coconut.
• Coconut milk is made from the expressed juice of grated coconut meat and water; it can be very high in calories, so it is best to choose the “lite” version.
• South Florida’s tropical climate is ideal for producing coconuts.

Shopping, Preparing and Storing

• When purchasing a coconut, give it a good shake to see if there is water inside. If you do not hear anything, the coconut is too ripe and may have an altered taste.
• Avoid any coconuts that are cracked or punctured. There should be no moisture leaking from the coconut's three dark eyes.
• Whole coconuts can be stored in the fridge for up to two months. Once the coconut is opened, the meat can only keep for a few days.

Cooking Tips

• Coconut oil is very heat-stable, making it suitable for sautéing, baking, roasting and even frying.
• Coconut milk blends well with many dishes, including curries, soups and sauces.
• Sprinkle toasted coconut over oatmeal for breakfast, a tropical fruit salad for lunch or dinner, or pair it with nuts and dried fruit for a healthy snack.

Coconut Nutrition

Serving size: ¼ cup shredded coconut meat

Calories: 106; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Total Carbohydrates: 12 g; Protein: 1 g; Sodium: 66 mg

Botanically speaking, a coconut is a fibrous one-seeded drupe, also known as a dry drupe. However, when using loose definitions, the coconut can be all three: a fruit, a nut, and a seed.

Botanists love classification. However, classification of plants can be a complicated matter for the average person. Coconuts are classified as a fibrous one-seeded drupe. A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering enclosing the seed (like a peach or olive) and comes from the word drupa meaning overripe olive. A coconut, and all drupes, have three layers: the exocarp (outer layer), the mesocarp (fleshy middle layer), and the endocarp (hard, woody layer that surrounds the seed).

The coconut we buy in the store does not resemble the coconut you find growing on a coconut palm. An untouched coconut has three layers. The outermost layer, which is typically smooth with a greenish color, is called the exocarp. The next layer is the fibrous husk, or mesocarp, which ultimately surrounds the hard woody layer called the endocarp. The endocarp surrounds the seed. Generally speaking, when you buy a coconut at the supermarket the exocarp and the mesocarp are removed and what you see is the endocarp.

Some scientists like to refer to the coconut as a water dispersal fruit and seed. A seed is the reproductive unit of a flowering plant. From a reproductive point of view, a seed has the “baby” plant inside, with two basic parts: the embryo root (hypocotyl) and the embryo leaves (epicotyl). In the coconut’s case, if you look at one end of the coconut, you’ll see three pores (also called eyes). The coconut seed germinates and a shoot emerges from one of the pores. In addition to the “baby” plant in the seed, there is the food to kick off its life called the endosperm. The endosperm is what makes up most of the seed and, in the coconut’s case, is the yummy white stuff we eat.

The word coconut itself can also be confusing because the word “nut” is contained in the word. A nut can be defined as a one- seeded fruit. With that loose definition, a coconut can also be a nut. However, a coconut is not a true nut. A true nut, such as the acorn, are indehiscent or do not open at maturity to release its seeds. The seeds are released when the fruit wall decays or are digested by an animal.

Yet another interesting aspect of the coconut that has baffled scientists for over 200 years is where did it originate? Is it of Old World or New World origin? Scientists have used art, botany, entomology, etymology, folklore, fossils, genetics, and travel records to try to figure out where the coconut first appeared.

Odoardo Beccari, a renowned palm specialist from the early 20th century, suggests that the coconut is of Old World origin and more than likely came from the Indian Archipelago or Polynesia. To strengthen his argument, there are more varieties of coconut palms in the Eastern hemisphere than in the Americas.

However, some scientists (O.F. Cook , H.B. Guppy, K.F.P. von Martius,) argue that the coconut is of New World origins, having migrated westward across the Pacific.

Interesting Coconut Facts

• Every bit of the coconut is used. As a result, coconuts are called the “Tree of Life” and can produce drink, fiber, food, fuel, utensils, musical instruments, and much more.
• When intra-venous (IV) solution was in short supply, doctors during World War II and Vietnam used coconut water in substitution of IV solutions.
• Botanically, the coconut palm is not a tree since there is no bark, no branches, or secondary growth. A coconut palm is a woody perennial monocotyledon with the trunk being the stem.
• Possibly the oldest reference is from Cosmas, a 5th century AD Egyptian traveler. He wrote about the “Indian nut” or “nut of India” after visiting India and Ceylon. Some scholars believe Cosmas was describing a coconut.
• Soleyman, an Arab merchant, visited China in the 9th century and describes the use of coir fiber and toddy made from coconuts.
• In the 16th century, Sir Francis Drake called coconut “nargils”, which was the common term used until the 1700’s when the word coconut was established.
• It takes 11 -12 months for the coconut to mature.
• At one time scientists identified over 60 species of Cocos palm. Today, the coconut is a monotypic with one species, nucifera. However, there are over 80 varieties of coconut palms, which are defined by characteristics such as dwarf and tall.
• Coconut growing regions are as far north as Hawaii and as far south as Madagascar.