Coconut is the large nut of a tropical tree called coconut palm. It grows inside a hard shell and contains a soft white substance that can be eaten and juice that can be drunk.
Coconut is termed in IGBO as Aku Oyibo or Aki Bekee which simply means is not a native plant in Nigeria, like the tales from my father, it was brought to the shores of calabar, Akwa Ibom from the Sea (blight of Biafra).
Yes, coconut is mainly seen along the Sea shore in calabar, Uyo etc but do not be surprised if you see coconut in the hinterland - this one is in Enugu. ?
It has come to stay and has been a major ingredients in our cuisine. Actually right now we can boost of coconut rice, coconut juice, coconut cream etc. It is also used to prepare some snacks like Aki na Ukwa. Etc
A very fascinating post by @Austinelewex coconut is now very vital here in Nigeria and its used as local cocktails in beaches here in nigeria e.g #elegusi beach in Lagos, marina resort in calabar.
Throwing more light to what @Austinelewex said about its importance, its water can as well be used as anti-poison when red oil is not readily available.
Coconut know as #Aki Oyibo in igboland can also be served as kola to visitors. Thanks @AdamGT and @Austinelewex for tagging me in this wonderful post.
How do you like your coconut, young or matured. Do you like taking the water when the coconut is very much young or when is it matured like the one in my hand?
Thanks for this nice post @Austinelewex . Coconut is also widely found in our country. In our coastal area, there are a lot of coconut trees. We also make foods by using ripe coconut. The below photo of the coconut tree I took a few years ago from my village home. I hope you will like this.
Hi @Austinelewex , thank you for tagging me in this great post.
Maybe only once have I tried the coconut milk bought from the store. It was a long time ago and I no longer remember his taste. Unfortunately, there are no growing palms in Bulgaria because the climate does not allow. There are people who grow palm trees in pots inside their homes and bring them out to the yard or terrace of the home in the summer. There are other people who plant them in the yard of their houses. It is more complicated for them because they have to overwinter the palm trees by wrapping them in nylon and wrapping them with warm hoses to keep them warm in winter.
About 150-200 kilometers south of Blagoevgrad in our neighboring country Greece, it is warmer and the palm trees grow without problems and reach a height to 20 meters.
Here is a picture of some kind of palm tree made on the island of Corfu in Greece. I do not recognize the different types of palm trees.
Thank you for sharing this post with us.
