Coconut Apples!



We had the good luck to take a break while on our hike in Lombok for kelapa muda (fresh young coconut). In fact, I don't think I've ever been on a hike in Indonesia that hasn't involved coconuts at some point!

Anyway, this isn't about drinking the coconut... that experience just reminded me that I have been wanting to share my enthusiasm for another delicacy from that same source; something that I first tried in Ecuador, but have come to appreciate in Indonesia: Coconut Apples. In the local language here it's referred to as Tombong; in spanish, they also call it manzana coco (the apple of the coconut)!


(A big Thank you goes out to hand model Cecilia for her assistance with this shot...)


Doesn't look like much, does it??? but mmm...

It's my favourite fresh, natural tasty treat while on the islands. It has a very unique taste and texture; rich, semi-sweet, watery, like a crisp spongy mass. Somehow it reminds me a little bit of waterchestnuts, but that may just be the 'uniqueness' of it!? The taste is slightly different depending on how old the coconut is when you actually break it open.

Scientifically speaking, the coconut apple is actually the seed's functional cotyledon (the base of the embryo), which has swollen into an absorbing organ that fills the entire cavity of the seed as it digests the endosperm during the germination process. The endosperm tissue is the white 'meat' that we usually think of as 'coconut'. In this way of thinking the brown 'shell' is actually the seed coat, or testa.

As the germination process continues, the coconut apple dissolves and absorbs the nutrient-rich endosperm tissue to supply the developing shoot with sugars and minerals. Eventually, the developing palm becomes self sufficient, as its leaves produce sugars through photosynthesis and its roots absorb minerals from the soil.

The coconut "apple" is rich in sugars and is a sweet delicacy in tropical countries.

So... how to enjoy this treat?

First, you have to find a coconut at the right stage... a coconut that has fallen from the tree naturally, has weathered, and is just starting to sprout... (actually the one in the picture below was a little past-prime; better with just a small shoot)




Then, you peel the husk away from the hard shell of the coconut with a machete...


Split the nut, and enjoy!!!