Coconuts/Niyog

Coconut is the most versatile of all plants that I ever knew. From the fruits, to the leaves, to the trunk almost all parts of it can be used for something.
The leaves we used for wrapping a delicacy we call “suman” (glutinous rice wrapped in coconut leaves). The inner part of the leaves is gathered and made into a broomstick for sweeping the yard. The trunk is now utilized as the “new wood” in making furnitures and in building houses.
Best of all is the fruit. Young coconuts are used for refreshments. The mature ones are used for making the coconut milk we’re all familiar with. It is also the source of coconut oil (copra industry) where it is manufactured as cooking oil and soap, etc. The husks from the coconuts are now also used in making coir which can be formed into rugs, or in the garden as liner for hanging baskets. The rest can be burned for firewood.
So many things I want to write about coconuts I even painted them as my tribute to the most versatile plant in the world, I think.

Similar Posts

  • Breadfruit

    Breadfruit or “rimas” as we call it in the Philippines can be prepared as a vegetable or a fruit but it has to be cooked. The Hawaiians call it “Ulu” and has been their staple food for decades. I like breadfruit the way my grandma prepares it. She steams it and cut them up and…

  • Kamias

      Kamias – Averrhoa bilimbi – also known as cucumber tree or tree sorrel is a very common fruit in the Philippines used as a condiment.  It is a fruit but it is so sour it is used mostly for cooking.  The kamias is like the tamarind, used in making sour-soup or sinigang. We used…

  • Camachile

    Camachile – (Pithecellobium dulce) – is a fruit that we eat in the Philippines.  It’s plentiful during the summer season.  The camachile taste sweet but dry.  It has black seeds and we used to play with it. The fruit is unusual because of its coiling.  It looks like a bean and it actually belongs to…

  • Mangoes

    Mango season just ended, at least in our tree. We have Pirie mango and Hayden. The mangoes in the picture are Hayden. I have a good time picking the mangoes in the backyard. This year I was able to make lots of mango jam. As soon as the last mango was picked though, the trees…

  • Star Fruit/ Balimbing

    Star Fruit or Carambola,(I call it Balimbing), is becoming increasingly popular among the population especially here in Hawaii. A growing number of people find it not only refreshing to eat but also have healthy benefits like anti-oxidants and Vitamin C. It is mostly used as garnish for drinks because of the star shape of the…

  • |

    Jackfruit

    We call the jackfruit “langka” in the Philippines.  I consider it as the biggest fruit ever.  When I was young, we  nicknamed it “hog” because sometimes it grows as big as a pig.   I remember my grandma’s jackfruit tree in the farm and the fruit almost touches the ground.  I also remember eating the fruits…