Introduction
The word 'coconut' conjures up visions of palm trees, cock-tails and sunsets, instantly transporting us to a golden beach with blue skies and bluer water, a sweet cocktail in one hand and coconut-scented sunscreen slathered all over us. What could be more fun, engaging, interesting or seductive, even, than writing about the coconut?
The image of the coconut palm is often paired with other fascinating and strange images, from pagodas to pink flamin-gos, but always in a delightful way. Hawaiian, or 'aloha', shirts invariably feature coconut palms and are worn untucked, signalling a casual attitude of freedom in the wearer, declaring 'I am on holiday!' Former u.s. president Barack Obama, responding to a question about his future plans after he left office, said he could be found 'on a beach somewhere, drinking out of a coconut'.'
For those living in the Western world, which has a temperate climate in which coconut palms, by and large, simply cannot grow, the image, taste and, of course, smell of coconut are intriguing and extraordinary. Where coconut palms are abundant, they are much more than a sustaining food source.
Where they are plentiful, people often remark that each house-hold consumes at least one coconut daily and, in fact, a common saying is, 'Without coconut there is no life. Yet, for that very reason, the coconut seems to be taken for granted. People are surprised and dismayed to discover that the popularity of their beloved coconut water as a trendy superfood around the world has made its price skyrocket at home.
Consumers everywhere can easily identify the smell, texture and taste of coconut. Bags of processed, grated coconut are readily accessible at extremely reasonable prices, as are cans of coconut milk, cream or water. Recipes prepared with processed coconut, such as coconut layer cake or coconut cream pie, and the familiar coconut chocolate bar favourites Bounty, Mounds and Almond Joy are much-beloved treats in places where coconut palms do not grow.
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