WRITTEN BY RYAN BURDEN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELLE T.M. LEE

After maturing on the tree for 12 months, coconuts change color to grey/brown before falling from the tree. Given adequate moisture, they sprout in one to four months.

Split a sprouted coconut in half using a machete or axe and you’ll fi nd a white, spongy center, sometimes referred to as a “coconut apple” or “queen’s bread.”

The edges of this living embryo are rich in enzymes and coated with pure, unadulterated coconut oil. This oil is the rich, healthy fat that the mother tree has gifted the new seedling to give it the energy needed to put down its fi rst roots and create its fi rst few sets of leaves.

Delicious and delicate, this jungle snack is something everyone should try at least once. And since sprouted coconuts are in reality baby trees, it is a snack best eaten with utmost reverence and appreciation.

In closing there is a responsibility when eating and enjoying a sprouted coconut. You take the life of a coconut tree that could have the potential to feed a village. So when eating one sprouted coconut be sure to also plant a coconut tree.