So…..coconuts. They’ve had a bit of a popularity boost in recent years. When I was a kid (a few years back) coconuts were found in Bounty Chocolate Bars. And that was pretty much it.
So, what’s happened to change the image of this humble fruit..?? It’s not just a sickly filling for chocolates or a coating for lamingtons anymore – it’s a highly regarded, multi-functional superfood.
Coconut – it’s a fruit NOT a nut
Yes…it’s a fruit, not a nut as you might assume or as the cheesy title of this blog implies. Botanically speaking, it’s from the drupe family which also includes avocados and apricots. Coconuts have been used for centuries in Pacific and Asian countries and some call it ‘The Tree of Life’, because it is so highly valued as a source of food and medicine. On many islands, the coconut is a staple in the diet and nearly one third of the world’s population depend on coconut in some way for their food or their economy. And nothing goes to waste – literally all parts of the tree can be used; the water, milk, flesh, sugar and oil of the fruit for nutrition and health, and the husks and leaves of the tree for furnishings and decoration.
A dietary hero?
In the western world, diets have changed significantly in recent decades. Never have there been so many different dietary trends or particular dietary requirements stemming from food allergies or a renewed interest in nutrition and wellbeing. And coconuts are up there as the hero ingredient that fits neatly into so many of these diets.
They are gluten and lactose free so suit people avoiding dairy, including vegans or those going ‘The Paleo Way’. And celebrities seem to love them too which has helped their popularity no end. Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow are fans as are some of the top bloggers in the health and wellness fields.
A true multi-tasker
The health benefits of coconut seem to be almost unbelievable – the list is long and includes boosting immunity, assisting weight loss, normalising cholesterol levels in the blood, killing harmful pathogens and bacteria, improving brain function and even protecting us against some cancers. And that’s just our insides.
On our outsides, coconut oil can be a brilliant moisturiser for dry skin, a cleanser or makeup remover and it’s antibacterial properties make it great for wound healing and minor skin irritations. It can also be put on your hair as a conditioning treatment and helps sooth a dry scalp.
In the kitchen
If we’re taking coconut into the kitchen, there are plenty of goodies to choose from: coconut milk, coconut water, coconut oil, coconut flour, coconut sugar and of course..the flesh itself. Coconut milk and coconut cream have been around for a while and most of us will have tried a Thai curry or two where coconut cream features in the sauce. But what about coconut flour…?? And coconut sugar..??
These are new ones on me. Coconut flour is actually a by product of the coconut milk production process. Coconut milk is made by pressing the coconut ‘meat’ to extract the milk. After pressing, the leftover meat is dried and ground to a fine powder to make flour. The sugar actually comes from the sap of cut flower buds from the coconut palm. The sap is collected and heated to remove most of the water leaving a dark crystal, not dissimilar to raw sugar. It’s still sugar though folks, so just because it’s come from the coconut palm doesn’t mean it’s a health food….!!!
And even yoghurt
And then of course there’s coconut yoghurt which we haven’t mentioned yet. Yoghurt as we know it is made by fermenting milk using bacterial cultures. In its natural state with minimal additives, yoghurt is a great source of ‘good bacteria’ which helps keep our gut health in check. But if you’re avoiding dairy or are a vegan….what are the alternatives…?? Well, that’s a question that came up in the kitchen of Mr and Mrs Coconut as they enjoyed their daily breakfast of yoghurt and muesli. Mr Coconut decided it was time to give dairy a miss….so Mrs Coconut set to work on finding an alternative to the yoghurt they enjoyed every morning. And so Raglan Coconut Yoghurt was born.
And it just so happens that they are fans of all things coconut and got together with some top New Zealand chefs to put together their Coconut Cookbook. I’ve got myself a copy of the ebook and have taken some of these new-to-me coconut ingredients into my kitchen to give some of the recipes a try.
In the next part of this blog, I’ll let you know what happened…..my thoughts on the Coconut Cookbook.
