World Coconut Day

Ramon FVelasquez / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

September 2nd is World Coconut Day.

Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm and, like many things with "nut" in the name are not nuts, being drupes. The coconut is one of the larger drupes around and is covered in a fibrous husk whose outermost layer, coir, has a wide range of uses, such as ropes, mats, brushes, sacking and caulking.

Coconuts contain coconut meat, which is a white, fleshy part of the fruit that is used in candies and desserts and is also used dried. Coconut milk is obtained by pressing the coconut meat that can be used to create a number of beverages. Coconut water is the liquid found inside the coconuts and is drunk and turned into a vinegar. Coconut oil is used in cooking. There are various derivatives from the various parts of the coconut.

Almost every part of the coconut can be used in some way and it has significant economic value.