Receiving the Coconut

Open your hands, bring them together, palms to the heavens. I place a coconut in your hands and it fits with perfection. You have received the coconut.

The coconut has three “points,” each separated by a semi-rounded side. It has two ends, one with a stem. Any two of the “points” will easily fit into open hands. Its skin is a textured mix of velvety smoothness and various scrapes and notches, where perhaps it rubbed against the tree from which it came. Here is something to consider: Your hands were designed to hold the coconut, and the coconut was designed to be held in your hands. Is it just a coincidence that the American football is very much coconut-shaped?

Slowly pass your coconut from hand to hand. Though the coconut looks small, don’t be fooled. This young green specimen weighs about three pounds. The coconut you are holding is as it comes from the tree. And yes, it is green, not the familiar brown fuzzy ball popularized as drinking vessels by movies set in tropical locales. The brown fuzzy part is found beneath the green outer husk. I once tried on a coconut bra. The brown fuzz is terribly scratchy against the skin, making it quite unpleasant to wear.

The coconut is not actually a nut; it is a seed, and one of nature’s most versatile creations. Should you be stranded on a desert island, do not fear! You can use your coconut for food, as a cup, or kindling for a fire. You can weave the leaves of the coconut tree into a shelter.

In most tropical countries you can buy a green coconut from a street vendor. The vendor will use a machete to cut the end off the coconut so you can drink its water. I have drank from the coconut. The water is refreshing and delicious, with or without rum. This young coconut is also filled with a jelly-like meat that is sweet and tasty. Use your fingers to scrape it from the inside after you have drank the water. As an unopened coconut matures, the meat becomes hardened and more fibrous. You might see it grated on top of cookies and cakes. Coconut rice is one of my personal favorites.

Many years ago I fell from a coconut tree. Soft sand can suddenly feel very hard when you land on it from about six feet up. I do not recommend climbing coconut trees. It is a skill, if not an art, that takes much practice to master. Be forewarned: Just as coconuts can provide life-giving sustenance, they can also be the source of injury, death, and sometimes, discomfort. One night I was trapped indoors during a brutal storm that sent coconuts plummeting like bombs to the ground for more than an hour. Though I needed to use the “facilities” I refused to risk my life running through the invisible rain of coconuts. I did not want to become a coconut casualty.

The beauty and versatility of the coconut tree is inspiring. It is the quintessential symbol of vacation, freedom and escape from the mundane to paradise. There are few sounds more relaxing than the sound of a gentle breeze rustling through palm leaves as you relax in a hammock suspended from two magnificent trees. As you hold your coconut and consider this beautiful seed and the tree from which it came, I hope I’ve taken you there.