The humble coconut 🥥

2nd September 2025

Your correspondent, silent since our return to Barbados a couple of weeks ago, has been stirred from his literary slumber by chagrin at his co-worker’s last blog post. Whilst I appreciated being awarded the title of second under-gardener, I felt that my efforts on Sunday were underplayed. Now don’t get me wrong – pruning twenty lethally spiky bougainvillea in tropical heat is amazing 👏👏👏 and I can’t wait to see the results in due course. However, what was not mentioned was the fact that I must have hurled at least a hundred coconuts from the lawns and beds into the surrounding bush. Anyone whose exposure to these is limited to the pathetic shrivelled specimens on display at a fairground shy has a very limited understanding of what a real coconut is like. These things are the size and weight of a ten pin bowling ball. Added to the fact that I was trying to launch each one as far over the boundary as my scrawny physique would allow, not to mention a long standing shoulder rotator cuff niggle, and it’s no wonder I had a decent case of repetitive strain injury by the end of the day. However – it was IMMENSELY satisfying 😎.

The coconut palm is ubiquitous in the tropics, being the world’s most widespread fruit tree. It adorns most idyllic beach images, as in this example from Worthing beach down the road:

We have many at Pollards Mill. This one is the most dramatic and will probably be the subject of another blog post in the near future:

As you will have gathered, these trees produce nuts. A lot of nuts. All packed full of nature’s bounty, bursting with health. And tropical people take full advantage. The produce of the coconut includes:

Water – I call this the most refreshing drink in the world. The roads of Barbados are dotted with coconut water sellers operating off the backs of trucks piled high with the nuts. The main man wields his razor sharp cutlass, skewering one from the pile before the blade flashes down, two or three lethal strokes being enough to lop the top off and expose the maw within. I can never watch without flinching and subconsciously counting how many fingers the guy still has on the hand holding the coconut!

A single young nut contains up to a litre of water. Many locals drink straight from the nut there and then – can’t get fresher than that. A little warm for my palate, but chilled and poured over a glass filled with ice it’s heavenly.

Jelly – well-named, the wobbly flesh of a fresh coconut is a bit more of an acquired taste, more due to the texture than the flavour, which is deliciously sweet.

Oil – brilliant for cooking and as a skin emollient.

Milk – tbh I’m not entirely sure what this is, but like desiccated or grated coconut it’s a product of the jelly.

Husk – often repurposed as a nutrient-rich compost.

Right, that’s enough. Pretty impressive though. And that’s without considering the languid grace of the trees themselves, swaying and rustling in the breeze. All hail the wonderful coconut palm! Not so humble after all.

STOP PRESS! I’ve just found out that today is World Coconut Day. That is a frankly SPOOKY coincidence 🥥