Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Coconuts used as a staple food for thousands of years....


Coconuts used as a staple food for thousands of years....
The Sanskrit name for coconut is kalpa vriksha, which

means "the tree that provides all the necessities of life."
The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, 

the seed, or the fruit. Coconuts are part of the daily
diet of many people. The various parts of the coconut have

a number of culinary uses. The nut provides oil for frying, cooking, and making margarine. The white, fleshy part of 
the seed, the coconut meat is edible and used fresh or dried
in cooking especially in confections and desserts like macaroons. Desiccated coconut can be used as an ingredient or to produce coconut milk which is frequently added to curry dishes and other savory viands. Coconut flour has also been developed for use in baking and to combat malnutrition.
Coconut chips have been sold in tourist regions like Hawaii and the Caribbean. Coconut butter is often used to describe solidified coconut oil.
The meat or flesh of the coconut, called kernel, which is found lining inside the coconut, can be used as food in a few ways.
The young meat is jelly-like and very soft. It can be drunk along with the coconut water. In mature coconuts, the meat is hard and delicious.
Coconut water contains sugar, fiber, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and provides an isotonic electrolyte balance.[citation needed] It is consumed as a refreshing drink.
Coconut milk, not to be confused with coconut water,
is obtained primarily by extracting juice by pressing the grated coconut's white kernel or by passing hot water or milk through grated coconut.
Coconut oil is used as a hair conditioner or health supplement, and it is frequently used as a cooking ingredient.
The sap derived from incising the flower clusters of the coconut is drunk as Neera also known as toddy or tuba.
Copra is the dried meat of the seed and after processing produces coconut oil and coconut meal.
Coconut oil, aside from being used in cooking as an ingredient and for frying, is used in soaps and cosmetics.
The husk and shells can be used for fuel and are a source of charcoal.
Coconut trunks are used for building small bridges.
The roots are used as a dye, a mouthwash, and a medicine for diarrhea and dysentery.
In Hindu wedding ceremonies, a coconut is placed over the opening of a pot, representing a womb. Coconut flowers are auspicious symbols and are fixtures at Hindu and Buddhist weddings and other important occasions. In Kerala, coconut flowers must be present during a marriage ceremony.

No comments:

Post a Comment