Sprouted coconut

Sprouted coconuts, also referred to as coconut sprouts, are the edible spherical sponge-like cotyledons of germinating coconuts. They have a crunchy watery texture with a slight sweetness. They are eaten in coconut-growing countries either as it is or as part of various dishes. They are not commercially produced. They are also known variously as coconut pearls, coconut embryos, coconut candy, coconut apples, coconut cotyledons or simply coconembryos or coconapples.[1][2][3]

Coconut sprout from Kerala, India

Names
Small coconut sprout from the Philippines

Sprouted coconuts have a variety of names in countries where coconuts are native or cultivated. They are also known as vara in Fijian; tumbong ng niyog, buwá ng niyog or tubo ng niyog in Filipino; iho or lolo in Hawaiian; morund in Konkani; tumbong kelapa in Malaysian and Indonesian; pongu in Malayalam; niu tupu in Niuean; oʻo in Samoan; manzanas de coco in Spanish; ʻuto in Tahitian; seembu in Tamil; and bot-bot, buwa, buha, or bula in Visayan languages;.[4][5][6][7] They are also known as "queen's bread" in Hawaii.[8][9]

Description

Sprouted coconuts can be found inside sprouting mature coconut fruits. They can range from marble-sized to completely filling the cavity inside the endosperm of the coconut seed. They grow to maximum size at around 20 to 24 weeks after germination. They are technically haustoria, as they are cotyledonary structures that absorb nutrients and water from the solid and liquid endosperm, in this case, as food for the growing embryo.[10][11]

Sprouted coconuts are preferably eaten while still fresh and small, as older larger sprouts tend to become rancid and have an unpleasant soapy taste.[1]

Nutrition

Sprouted coconuts contain around 66% carbohydrates, around 64% of which are soluble sugars. They contain considerable amounts of dietary fiber and minerals (particularly potassium, manganese, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium).[12]

See also

References
  1. "Wahi Ka Niu – Break Open the Coconut". MarketlessMondays. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  2. Armstrong, W.P. "Edible Palm Fruits". Economically Important Plant Families. Palomar College. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  3. "Coconut Pearl / Apple, Tumbong ng Niyog". FoodRecap. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  4. "Surprising benefits of the Coconut Embryo". TheCoconet.tv. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  5. "Buha, The Coconut Cotyledon". Gardencore. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  6. "Food Products from the Coconut Tree". Coconut 101. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  7. "Tumbong ng Niyog". About Filipino Food. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  8. "You Can Eat a Sprouted Coconut". Kumu Aina Farm. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  9. "Sprouted Coconut". Edible Hawaiian islands. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  10. Rajamohan, T; Chikku, AM (2012). "Coconut haustorium maintains cardiac integrity and alleviates oxidative stress in rats subjected to isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction". Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 74 (5): 397. doi:10.4103/0250-474X.108414. PMC 3660865. PMID 23716867.
  11. Lersten, Nels R. (2008). Flowering Plant Embryology: With Emphasis on Economic Species. John Wiley & Sons. p. 191. ISBN 9780470752678.
  12. Manivannan, Arivalagan; Bhardwaj, Rakesh; Padmanabhan, Sugatha; Suneja, Poonam; Hebbar, K.B.; Kanade, Santosh R. (January 2018). "Biochemical and nutritional characterization of coconut ( Cocos nucifera L.) haustorium". Food Chemistry. 238: 153–159. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.10.127. PMID 28867086.
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