Coconut

Cocos nucifera

fruit · nuts & seeds

A large fruit 10 to 40 cm long from a palm of tropical shores — a plant, not a tree; its white flesh is grated, pressed into milk or dried. 100 g of fresh flesh provide 9 g of fibre, with potassium.

Origin

Coasts of the Indo-Pacific

Season (United States)

all year round · grows in your region

Preparation

Two of the three “eyes” are pierced to pour out the water, then the shell is cracked with a hammer: the white flesh is prised off with a knife and eaten raw, grated or dried. The shell and husk are not eaten.

Molecules

Potassium

Did you know?

Rich in husk fibre, its fruits float and drift with the currents; they germinate late, which gives them time for a long sea voyage before taking root on a beach.