coconuts

Another silly little post....

I like coconut as a flavour.  I know it has its detractors, and perhaps being exposed only to desiccated coconut in desserts or sickly sweet coconut syrups has led to that.  Perhaps.  Even then, I've been fond of it.  Heck, bring on a huge wedge of the coconut cake at Jake's, please!

You know what might convert people?  Having fresh coconut, harvested from local trees.  Having someone hack into it for you so that you can enjoy the water, cold, directly from the coconut.  Having someone then machete it open so that you can enjoy the meat.  Oh, the meat.  Again, my experience is of coconut meat that is dry even if taken directly from the whole fruit (they are a fruit).

My time in Micronesia changed all that.  On the boat,

at the college,

even at dinner one night,

there were coconuts on offer.  We all happily enjoyed them.  The meat ranged in texture depending on the age of the coconut, but it was often slippery and sweet (but perhaps astringent if too young, or so I thought).  It was like eating a pomegranate, in a way - it took some work, but the reward was definite.

I joke about my time with coconuts while on Pohnpei, but you know, I would happily go back and have some more.  That and another helping of fried parrot fish, please!