Coconuts in Kerala

The coconut tree is an integral part of the landscape of Kerala. On Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater, you will be wonderstruck by the green landscape covered with coconut palms, their green fronds swaying in the breeze. Coconuts in Kerala are an essential part of the lifestyle of Kerala, they are also an important part of the cuisine of Kerala.

Coconuts in Kerala Cuisine:

Coconuts in Kerala are used extensively in the delicious cuisine of this state. The juice of the tender coconut is drunk fresh, the soft flesh of the tender coconut is eaten raw, and the mature flesh is grated and added to curries or added as garnishing in either fresh or fried form. Coconut oil is extracted from the dry flesh of the coconut and is used for cooking. The distinctive taste of coconut oil adds a special touch to the cuisine of Kerala. The dried and desiccated flesh of the coconut, called copra, is stored for use in cookery and as offerings in temples. A favorite drink made in Kerala is toddy or fermented palm wine, which is extracted from the coconut palm. Coconuts in Kerala are essential for the preparation of favorite dishes such as coconut chutney, avial (mixed vegetable curry) and fish moilee. A true Malayalee cannot imagine what life would be like without coconuts in Kerala. You can taste the delicious cuisine of Kerala, of which coconut is an essential element, on tours of Kerala, with Kerala Backwater.

Coconut Trees in Kerala:

The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a very important part of the landscape, traditional lifestyle and economy of Kerala, as you will see when you travel to Kerala with Kerala Backwater.

The coconut tree grows to a height of 25 m. The trunk has rings indicating each years growth and the top of the tree bears a bunch of long feather like leaves. A very graceful sight, a mature coconut tree, produces 50-100 nuts in a year. Each coconut is between 12-18 inches and is oval in shape. The nuts grow in bunches at the top of the tree trunk. The green outer covering of each fruit has an inner layer of husk, with a hard-shelled kernel filled with juice and flesh. This is edible part of the coconut is actually the endosperm meant to nourish the seed of the coconut tree.

Every part of the coconut tree is used in some way. The many uses of the fruit have been described above. The trunk of the coconut tree is used for its wood to make beams in traditional houses and the coconut palm's leaves are used to thatch houses and weave mats, baskets and other useful household items. The husk of the coconut is used to produce coir, which is woven into ropes, doormats and furnishing material. The curved shell of the coconut is used to make spoons and ladles. Every part of the coconut tree is put to some use. Coconuts in Kerala, are more than just a beautiful part of the landscape or an essential element in Kerala cuisine.

Coconut trees are essential to the traditional lifestyle and livelihood of the people of Kerala, as you will see when you travel on Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater.