Is Coconut a Nut?

Is a coconut  a nut? Is it s fruit? Is it a seed?, No a coconut is not a nut it contradicts its name. It is actually a type of fruit known as a drupe. A drupe is a fleshy fruit with skin and a central stone containing a seed such as a cherry, almond or olive.

The young coconut is smooth and green on the outside, within the shell is a coarse husk one to two inches. The inner shell is hard and dark brown or white depending on the age. Inside young coconuts they contain a large amount of coconut water. 

It is ideal to drink and eat the coconut jelly of a young coconut while a mature coconut is used in cooking or to make coconut milk, desiccated coconut or even coconut oil.

More about coconut at https://www.cocofina.com/blogs/everything-coconut/is-coconut-a-nut.

How did the coconut get its name?

The Coconut is believed to have gotten its name in the 16^th Century, in Portuguese ‘Coco’ means ‘Monkey face’. This is because the three holes found at the base of the coconut have a resemblance to monkey’s facial features.

The modern coconut as we know, known to have existed during the Eocene Period (37 to 57 millions years ago) which was found in India and Australia. However, the origin of the coconut plant is the subject of debate since some scientific research suggests an Indo-Pacific origin (Pacific Ocean or Indian Ocean). While others see the origin in north western South America since the ‘Nipa’ fruit which is one example of an older palm fossil that has been found in the Americas.