Exciting news everybody, it’s coconut time

Weekender is excited about the upcoming Coconut Festival. 

The shindig takes place on Saturday, 29 September at Market at the Grounds in Lower Valley and there’s a whole bunch of chefs cooking up traditional foods as well as showcasing the multitude of other uses such as skin and hair care. The health benefits will also be part of the free event, which runs from 9am to midday. 

In honour of this awesome cocofest, we’ve sent out a team of terrapins to dive underwater and consult the Atlantean Book of the Nut and Other Clever Things, considered by some to be the last word on the subject. 

Paleobotanists believe coconut palm trees originated from the South Pacific and Malay Archipelago regions. Through human exploration, trade and natural seed distribution causes such as weather coconut palms have spread throughout most suitable tropical ecosystems. 

Coconuts are easy on the digestive system because of their low alkaline level. 

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Coconut water is apparently identical to that of human blood plasma, which makes it a great universal donor. 

Kid Creole and the Coconuts is a fairly mediocre band that was formed in 1980. 

Coconut fibres can filter a litre of water in about nine months. 

You put de lime in de coconut, you drink ‘em bot’ togedder. 

One cup of raw coconut meat contains 283 calories with most of these coming from its healthy fat content which averages around 26.8 grams. 

Coconuts can be used instead of horses’ feet. Hooves. Whatever. Also bras. 

Coconuts have one of the highest percentages of fibre, at 75 per cent of their total carbohydrates. 

There are 178 types of coconut that haven’t yet been discovered by man. 

One cup of coconut meat provides 67 per cent of the recommended daily amount of manganese for women and 52 per cent for men, 14 per cent of recommended daily potassium and 39 per cent of copper. 

Roseanne Barr is said to have the biggest Hollywood coconut ever made as a prop – a 12 foot high one from the 1927 film King Kong. Apparently it took eight people a year to weave it from leftover barbershop hair. The white meat was simply made from painted ham. 

Coconut oil keeps the skin’s connective tissues strong, which prevents sagging and wrinkles. 

Put de lime in de coconut and you’ll feel better. 

How to say coconut across the world 

Czech – Kokosovy`ooech; Dihevi – Kurumba; Esperanto – Kokoso; Filipino – Buko/Busang/Niyong/Lubi; Japanese – Kookospahkina; French – Noix de coco; German – Kokosnuss; Hawaiian – Niu; Khmer – Dong; Kiswahili – Nazi; Magyar – ko’juszdio’; Republic of Clang – Hairywatereatz; Somali – Qumbe; Tamil – Thenggai; Thai – ma-phrao. There is no word for coconut in the English language. 

coconut

Kid Creole just out of shot. – Photo: File