Cinnamomum zeylanicum / Cinnamon / Lauraceae (Laurel family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Other Names

Cinnamomun Zeylanicum, True Cinnamom, Ceylon Cinnamom, Kwai, Kaneel, Canela, Canella.

Description

Cinnamon is an ancient spice mentioned several times in the Old Testament. It is a bushy evergreen tree of the Laurel family. Native to Sri Lanka, India, and Burma, Cinnamon is also cultivated in South America and the West Indies for the spice consisting of its dried inner bark. The light-brown spice has a delicately fragrant aroma and warm, sweet flavor. It was once more valuable than gold. Today Cinnamon is used as a spice, for incense, and in aromatherapy. The oil is distilled from bark fragments for use in food, medicine, liqueur, and perfumery. There are many species of Cinnamon, but the dominating species used for incense and spice is the Ceylon Cinnamon. It has a more delicate aroma and is the dominating quality on the Western market. Essential oil can be obtained from its bark and leaves.

Scent

Cinnamon has a peppery, earthy, spicy, bright yet slightly woody fragrance.

Aromatic Properties

It is believed by some, that burning Cinnamon in incense will induce higher spirituality and aid in healing. The fragrance of Cinnamon makes one feel warm and protected. Some people also believe it can stimulate the passions of a male.

Contents

Cinnamon contains cinnamic aldehyde, essential oils, eugenol, metholeugenol, muscilage, sucrose, starch and tannin.

Synergic Combinations

In a smudge or incense mixtures Cinnamon combines nicely with Ceder, Juniper, Sage and Sandalwood.

Historical

Native to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), true Cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, its botanical name derives from the Hebraic and Arabic term "Amomon", meaning "fragrant spice plant". Ancient Egyptians used Cinnamon in their embalming process. From their word for "Cannon", Italians called it "Canella", meaning "little tube," which clearly describes Cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon has a huge variety in possible uses in its history. Most common uses are for medicine and cooking. Cinnamon has also a history as a warming and healing ingredient in incense and aromatherapy. Cinnamon has had many medicinal purposes in many cultures throughout the history. It is mentioned in the Old Testament a few times. As a spice it is most known in sweet desserts, but in meditterenean dishes also used with meat (because of its preservative properties). Many wars have been fought over Cinnamon. In the 17th century, the Dutch seized the world's largest Cinnamon supplier, the island of Ceylon, from the Portuguese, demanding outrageous quotas from the poor laboring Chalia caste. When the Dutch learned of a source of Cinnamon along the coast of India, they bribed and threatened the local king to destroy it all, thus preserving their monopoly on the prized spice.

Health Warnings

As a widely used food spice, ground Cinnamon bark is believed to be safe. However, Cinnamon's essential oil is much more concentrated than the powdered bark commonly used. There is some evidence that high doses of Cinnamon oil might depress the central nervous system (1). Germany's Commission E recommends that pregnant women should avoid taking Cinnamon oil or high doses of the bark (2). Maximum safe doses in young children, nursing women, or individuals with severe liver or kidney disease have not been determined. When used topically, Cinnamon bark oil may cause flushing and a burning sensation (3). Some people have reported strong burning sensations or mouth ulcers after chewing Cinnamon-flavored gum or candy (4-5). However, these reactions disappeared within days of discontinuing the gum.

Plant Description

Cinnamon is the common name for the trees and shrubs that belong to the genus Cinnamomum of the Laurel family (Lauraceae). Cinnamon spice comes primarily from the Sri Lankan Cinnamon known as Cinnamomum zeylanicum. It is obtained from the plant by drying the central part of the bark, which is then sold in stick or powdered form. Cinnamon oil is extracted from the waste products of drying and the pointed black fruits that the tree bears. It is a small tree, to 90m. Leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, to 18cm long, obtuse or acute; panicles as long as leaves; flowers inconspicuous, yellowish.

References

(1) Harada M, Ozaki Y. Pharmacological studies on Chinese cinnamon. Central effects of cinnamaldehyde (in Japanese). Yakugaku Zasshi. 1972;92:135-140
(2) Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete Commission E Monographs, Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Boston, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications; 1998: 110.
(3) Perry PA, Dean BS, Krenzelok EP. Cinnamon oil abuse by adolescents. Vet Hum Toxicol. 1990;32:162-164.
(4) Allen CM, Blozis GG. Oral mucosal reactions to cinnamon-flavored chewing gum. J Am Dent Assoc. 1988;116:664-667.
(5) Mihail RC. Oral leukoplakia caused by cinnamon food allergy. J Otolaryngol. 1992;21:366-367.

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Cinnamomum zeylanicum - Ethnobotanical Leaflets

Theobroma cacao / Cocoa / Sterculiaceae (Cacao family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Description

Chocolate is a natural product made from the bean of the cacao tree Theobroma cacao. The seeds are dried and roasted and then processed to form cocoa, the basic ingredient in chocolate and chocolate products. When boiled in milk, or milk and water, it is much used as an occasional substitute for coffee, and for a drink at meals. The callets are round drops of chocolate. They are the ideal aid to produce perfectly tempered chocolate quickly and efficiently. They are also the best solution for applications requiring fast melting or the addition of small quantities of chocolate.

Contents

Cocoa beans contain about 2% theobromine, small amounts of caffeine, flavanoids, phenethylamine, vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid) and minarls (megnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, manganese). Cocoa beans contain approximately 50% fat, primarily comprised of two saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids, and the mono unsaturated oleic acid.

Historical

Cacao was named Theobroma by Linnaeus, which literally translates as "Cocoa, food of the Gods".
The Aztecs, Mayas and Toltecs believed that the cocoa tree was indeed a gift from the Gods.
The word cacao is derived from Olmec and the subsequent Mayan languages (kakaw); the chocolate-related term cacahuatl is Nahuatl (Aztec language), derived from Olmec/Mayan etymology, meaning "bitter water".
Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare to a hot, frothy beverage with stimulant and restorative properties.
Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests. The Aztecs esteemed its reputed ability to confer wisdom and vitality. Taken fermented as a drink, chocolate was also used in religious ceremonies. The sacred concoction was associated with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility.
Emperor Montezuma (1502-1520) allegedly drank 50 goblets a day. Aztec taxation was levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao beans bought the services of courtesan.
"The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink cocoa permits a man to walk for a whole day without food." --Montezuma II
Legend has it that Montezuma II was the first to discover chocolate ice and sent his runners to the heights of the volcano to bring back blocks of snow over which thick chocolate was poured, whipped, and served as chilled froth. When the ambassadors of Cortes encountered the Aztec Emperor, he was at the breakfast table shielded by a rich screen. Servants were filing by in endless procession with tempting delicacies. The most frequent (and most favoured) offering was a steaming aromatic drink named "cacahuatl". This beverage was made from water and cacao seeds - so valuable that they were used as currency in parts of Mexico and so costly that only royalty could afford them.
The finest chocolate confectionery, containing pure chocolate liquor, with its remarkable nutritional constituents, is also the most nourishing; in the South African War and World Wars I and II, solid chocolate was issued as standard rations for the troops and given by Queen Victoria as a Christmas gift to all her fighting men.
The first chocolate factory in the United States opened in 1765 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1805, Conrad Van Houten, a dutch chemist, invented a cacao press that created confections of cocoa butter and sugar. In 1876, Daniel Peter, a Swiss candymaker, developed milk chocolate by adding condensed milk to chocolate liquor, giving it a smoother texture through a process called conching (referring to the shape of the mixing vats).

Plant Description

Cacao (Theobroma cacao), or the cocoa plant, is a small (4–8 m or 15–26 ft tall) evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae (alternatively Malvaceae). Native to southern Mexico (Veracruz, Chiapas), Guatemala, Belize; now cultivated pantropically, especially in West Africa, Ceylon, Java.
Cocoa beans are found in the fruit, or pods, of the cacao trees; each nine-inch pod contains 20 to 50 beans. The annual yield per tree is between 20 and 30 fruit pods. When seeds are ripe they rattle in the capsule when shaken; if separated from the capsule they soon become infertile, but if kept therein they retain their fertility for a long time.
After the cacao beans are removed from the fruit, they undergo fermentation, a process that reduces their bitterness and helps develop their heady aroma. After they are dried the beans are ready to be processed into chocolate products.

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Theobroma cacao - Cacao Web
Theobroma cacao - Erowid
Theobroma Cacao - Wikipedia

Theobroma cacao / Cocoa / Sterculiaceae (Cacao family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Description

Chocolate is a natural product made from the bean of the cacao tree Theobroma cacao. The seeds are dried and roasted and then processed to form cocoa, the basic ingredient in chocolate and chocolate products. When boiled in milk, or milk and water, it is much used as an occasional substitute for coffee, and for a drink at meals. The callets are round drops of chocolate. They are the ideal aid to produce perfectly tempered chocolate quickly and efficiently. They are also the best solution for applications requiring fast melting or the addition of small quantities of chocolate.

Contents

Cocoa beans contain about 2% theobromine, small amounts of caffeine, flavanoids, phenethylamine, vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid) and minarls (megnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, manganese). Cocoa beans contain approximately 50% fat, primarily comprised of two saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids, and the mono unsaturated oleic acid.

Historical

Cacao was named Theobroma by Linnaeus, which literally translates as "Cocoa, food of the Gods".
The Aztecs, Mayas and Toltecs believed that the cocoa tree was indeed a gift from the Gods.
The word cacao is derived from Olmec and the subsequent Mayan languages (kakaw); the chocolate-related term cacahuatl is Nahuatl (Aztec language), derived from Olmec/Mayan etymology, meaning "bitter water".
Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare to a hot, frothy beverage with stimulant and restorative properties.
Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests. The Aztecs esteemed its reputed ability to confer wisdom and vitality. Taken fermented as a drink, chocolate was also used in religious ceremonies. The sacred concoction was associated with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility.
Emperor Montezuma (1502-1520) allegedly drank 50 goblets a day. Aztec taxation was levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao beans bought the services of courtesan.
"The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink cocoa permits a man to walk for a whole day without food." --Montezuma II
Legend has it that Montezuma II was the first to discover chocolate ice and sent his runners to the heights of the volcano to bring back blocks of snow over which thick chocolate was poured, whipped, and served as chilled froth. When the ambassadors of Cortes encountered the Aztec Emperor, he was at the breakfast table shielded by a rich screen. Servants were filing by in endless procession with tempting delicacies. The most frequent (and most favoured) offering was a steaming aromatic drink named "cacahuatl". This beverage was made from water and cacao seeds - so valuable that they were used as currency in parts of Mexico and so costly that only royalty could afford them.
The finest chocolate confectionery, containing pure chocolate liquor, with its remarkable nutritional constituents, is also the most nourishing; in the South African War and World Wars I and II, solid chocolate was issued as standard rations for the troops and given by Queen Victoria as a Christmas gift to all her fighting men.
The first chocolate factory in the United States opened in 1765 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1805, Conrad Van Houten, a dutch chemist, invented a cacao press that created confections of cocoa butter and sugar. In 1876, Daniel Peter, a Swiss candymaker, developed milk chocolate by adding condensed milk to chocolate liquor, giving it a smoother texture through a process called conching (referring to the shape of the mixing vats).

Plant Description

Cacao (Theobroma cacao), or the cocoa plant, is a small (4–8 m or 15–26 ft tall) evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae (alternatively Malvaceae). Native to southern Mexico (Veracruz, Chiapas), Guatemala, Belize; now cultivated pantropically, especially in West Africa, Ceylon, Java.
Cocoa beans are found in the fruit, or pods, of the cacao trees; each nine-inch pod contains 20 to 50 beans. The annual yield per tree is between 20 and 30 fruit pods. When seeds are ripe they rattle in the capsule when shaken; if separated from the capsule they soon become infertile, but if kept therein they retain their fertility for a long time.
After the cacao beans are removed from the fruit, they undergo fermentation, a process that reduces their bitterness and helps develop their heady aroma. After they are dried the beans are ready to be processed into chocolate products.

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Theobroma cacao - Cacao Web
Theobroma cacao - Erowid
Theobroma Cacao - Wikipedia

Theobroma cacao / Cocoa / Sterculiaceae (Cacao family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Description

Chocolate is a natural product made from the bean of the cacao tree Theobroma cacao. The seeds are dried and roasted and then processed to form cocoa, the basic ingredient in chocolate and chocolate products. When boiled in milk, or milk and water, it is much used as an occasional substitute for coffee, and for a drink at meals. The callets are round drops of chocolate. They are the ideal aid to produce perfectly tempered chocolate quickly and efficiently. They are also the best solution for applications requiring fast melting or the addition of small quantities of chocolate.

Contents

Cocoa beans contain about 2% theobromine, small amounts of caffeine, flavanoids, phenethylamine, vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid) and minarls (megnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, manganese). Cocoa beans contain approximately 50% fat, primarily comprised of two saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids, and the mono unsaturated oleic acid.

Historical

Cacao was named Theobroma by Linnaeus, which literally translates as "Cocoa, food of the Gods".
The Aztecs, Mayas and Toltecs believed that the cocoa tree was indeed a gift from the Gods.
The word cacao is derived from Olmec and the subsequent Mayan languages (kakaw); the chocolate-related term cacahuatl is Nahuatl (Aztec language), derived from Olmec/Mayan etymology, meaning "bitter water".
Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare to a hot, frothy beverage with stimulant and restorative properties.
Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests. The Aztecs esteemed its reputed ability to confer wisdom and vitality. Taken fermented as a drink, chocolate was also used in religious ceremonies. The sacred concoction was associated with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility.
Emperor Montezuma (1502-1520) allegedly drank 50 goblets a day. Aztec taxation was levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao beans bought the services of courtesan.
"The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink cocoa permits a man to walk for a whole day without food." --Montezuma II
Legend has it that Montezuma II was the first to discover chocolate ice and sent his runners to the heights of the volcano to bring back blocks of snow over which thick chocolate was poured, whipped, and served as chilled froth. When the ambassadors of Cortes encountered the Aztec Emperor, he was at the breakfast table shielded by a rich screen. Servants were filing by in endless procession with tempting delicacies. The most frequent (and most favoured) offering was a steaming aromatic drink named "cacahuatl". This beverage was made from water and cacao seeds - so valuable that they were used as currency in parts of Mexico and so costly that only royalty could afford them.
The finest chocolate confectionery, containing pure chocolate liquor, with its remarkable nutritional constituents, is also the most nourishing; in the South African War and World Wars I and II, solid chocolate was issued as standard rations for the troops and given by Queen Victoria as a Christmas gift to all her fighting men.
The first chocolate factory in the United States opened in 1765 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1805, Conrad Van Houten, a dutch chemist, invented a cacao press that created confections of cocoa butter and sugar. In 1876, Daniel Peter, a Swiss candymaker, developed milk chocolate by adding condensed milk to chocolate liquor, giving it a smoother texture through a process called conching (referring to the shape of the mixing vats).

Plant Description

Cacao (Theobroma cacao), or the cocoa plant, is a small (4–8 m or 15–26 ft tall) evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae (alternatively Malvaceae). Native to southern Mexico (Veracruz, Chiapas), Guatemala, Belize; now cultivated pantropically, especially in West Africa, Ceylon, Java.
Cocoa beans are found in the fruit, or pods, of the cacao trees; each nine-inch pod contains 20 to 50 beans. The annual yield per tree is between 20 and 30 fruit pods. When seeds are ripe they rattle in the capsule when shaken; if separated from the capsule they soon become infertile, but if kept therein they retain their fertility for a long time.
After the cacao beans are removed from the fruit, they undergo fermentation, a process that reduces their bitterness and helps develop their heady aroma. After they are dried the beans are ready to be processed into chocolate products.

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Theobroma cacao - Cacao Web
Theobroma cacao - Erowid
Theobroma Cacao - Wikipedia

Cocos nucifera / Coconut / Arecaceae (Palm family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Description

The Coconut is the largest seed known and it is part of the Coconut Palm. It is grown throughout the tropical world, for decoration as well as for its many culinary and non-culinary uses; virtually every part of the coconut palm has some human uses. Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of the coconut. It is used in many foods and cosmetic products, as well as in natural remedies, both externally and internally. There are different types of coconut oil including virgin, refined, hydrogenated and fractionated. The virgin coconut oil has the best flavor and the most health benefits.

Contents

100g Coconut meat contain about 15g carbohydrates, 3g protein and 34g fat.
Coconut oil contains predominantly medium chain triglycerides, with roughly 92% saturated fatty acids, 6% monounsaturated fatty acids, and 2% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Of the saturated fatty acids, coconut oil is primarily 44.6% lauric acid, 16.8% myristic acid a 8.2% palmitic acid and 8% caprylic acid, although it contains seven different saturated fatty acids in total. Its only monounsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid while its only polyunsaturated fatty acid is linoleic acid.(2)

Historical

The origins of this plant are the subject of controversy, with most authorities claiming it is native to South Asia (particularly the Ganges Delta), while others claim its origin is in northwestern South America. Fossil records from New Zealand indicate that small, coconut-like plants grew there as long as 15 million years ago. Even older fossils have been uncovered in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala (Kerala means "land of coconut palms"), Maharashtra, (India) and the oldest known so far in Khulna, Bangladesh. The fruit is light and buoyant and presumably spread significant distances by marine currents. Fruits collected from the sea as far north as Norway have been found to be viable.(1)
The English name coconut, first mentioned in English print in 1555, comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word coco, which means "monkey face." Spanish and Portuguese explorers found a resemblance to a monkey's face in the three round indented markings or "eyes" found at the base of the coconut.
On the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean, whole coconuts were used as currency for the purchace of goods until the early part of the twentieth century. In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning "tree which gives all that is necessary for living," because nearly all parts of the tree can be used in some manner or another. The coconut fruit has many food uses for its water, milk, meat, sugar, and oil. It also functions as its own dish and cup. The husk was burned for fuel by natives, but today a seed fibre called coir is taken from the husk and used to make brushes, mats, fishnets, and rope. A very potent fermented toddy or drink is also made from the coconut palm's sap. Coconut oil, a saturated fat made from dried coconut meat, is used for commercial frying and in candies and margarines, as well as in non-edible products such as soaps and cosmetics.(3)
Several Philippine proverbs demonstrate the usefulness of this species:
"If you could count the stars, then you could count all the ways the coconut serves us."
"He who plants a coconut tree, plants vessels and clothing, food and drink, a habitation for himself, and a heritage for his children."

Plant Description

The coconut palm is a long-lived plant that may live as long as 100 years; it has a single trunk, 20-30 m tall, its bark is smooth and grey, marked by ringed scars left by fallen leafbases. The leaves, from 4 to 6 m long, are pinnate; they consist of linear-lanceolate, more or less recurved, rigid, bright green leaflets. The inflorescences, arising at leaf axils and enveloped by a carinate spathe, are unbranched spadices; female flowers are borne basally, male flowers at apex. Flowers bear lanceolate petals, 6 stamens and an ovary consisting of 3 connate carpels. Cross pollination, either anemophilous or entomophilous, occurs. Its fruit, as big as a man’s head and 1-2 kg in weight, is a drupe with a thin, smooth, grey-brownish epicarp, a fibrous, 4-8 cm thick, mesocarp and a woody endocarp; as it is rather light, it can be carried long distances by water while keeping its germinability for a long time.
Although it takes up to a year for coconuts to mature, the trees bloom up to thirteen times a year. Fruit is constantly forming, thus yielding a continuous harvest year-round. An average harvest from one tree runs about 60 coconuts, with some trees yielding three times that amount.

References

(1) Coconut, Wikipedia
(2) Coconut Oil, Wikipedia
(3) Coconut History, by Peggy Towbridge Filippone, About.com

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Coconut Oil and its Wonderful Health Benefits
Coconut Research Center

Cocos nucifera / Coconut / Arecaceae (Palm family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Description

The Coconut is the largest seed known and it is part of the Coconut Palm. It is grown throughout the tropical world, for decoration as well as for its many culinary and non-culinary uses; virtually every part of the coconut palm has some human uses. Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of the coconut. It is used in many foods and cosmetic products, as well as in natural remedies, both externally and internally. There are different types of coconut oil including virgin, refined, hydrogenated and fractionated. The virgin coconut oil has the best flavor and the most health benefits.

Contents

100g Coconut meat contain about 15g carbohydrates, 3g protein and 34g fat.
Coconut oil contains predominantly medium chain triglycerides, with roughly 92% saturated fatty acids, 6% monounsaturated fatty acids, and 2% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Of the saturated fatty acids, coconut oil is primarily 44.6% lauric acid, 16.8% myristic acid a 8.2% palmitic acid and 8% caprylic acid, although it contains seven different saturated fatty acids in total. Its only monounsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid while its only polyunsaturated fatty acid is linoleic acid.(2)

Historical

The origins of this plant are the subject of controversy, with most authorities claiming it is native to South Asia (particularly the Ganges Delta), while others claim its origin is in northwestern South America. Fossil records from New Zealand indicate that small, coconut-like plants grew there as long as 15 million years ago. Even older fossils have been uncovered in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala (Kerala means "land of coconut palms"), Maharashtra, (India) and the oldest known so far in Khulna, Bangladesh. The fruit is light and buoyant and presumably spread significant distances by marine currents. Fruits collected from the sea as far north as Norway have been found to be viable.(1)
The English name coconut, first mentioned in English print in 1555, comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word coco, which means "monkey face." Spanish and Portuguese explorers found a resemblance to a monkey's face in the three round indented markings or "eyes" found at the base of the coconut.
On the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean, whole coconuts were used as currency for the purchace of goods until the early part of the twentieth century. In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning "tree which gives all that is necessary for living," because nearly all parts of the tree can be used in some manner or another. The coconut fruit has many food uses for its water, milk, meat, sugar, and oil. It also functions as its own dish and cup. The husk was burned for fuel by natives, but today a seed fibre called coir is taken from the husk and used to make brushes, mats, fishnets, and rope. A very potent fermented toddy or drink is also made from the coconut palm's sap. Coconut oil, a saturated fat made from dried coconut meat, is used for commercial frying and in candies and margarines, as well as in non-edible products such as soaps and cosmetics.(3)
Several Philippine proverbs demonstrate the usefulness of this species:
"If you could count the stars, then you could count all the ways the coconut serves us."
"He who plants a coconut tree, plants vessels and clothing, food and drink, a habitation for himself, and a heritage for his children."

Plant Description

The coconut palm is a long-lived plant that may live as long as 100 years; it has a single trunk, 20-30 m tall, its bark is smooth and grey, marked by ringed scars left by fallen leafbases. The leaves, from 4 to 6 m long, are pinnate; they consist of linear-lanceolate, more or less recurved, rigid, bright green leaflets. The inflorescences, arising at leaf axils and enveloped by a carinate spathe, are unbranched spadices; female flowers are borne basally, male flowers at apex. Flowers bear lanceolate petals, 6 stamens and an ovary consisting of 3 connate carpels. Cross pollination, either anemophilous or entomophilous, occurs. Its fruit, as big as a man’s head and 1-2 kg in weight, is a drupe with a thin, smooth, grey-brownish epicarp, a fibrous, 4-8 cm thick, mesocarp and a woody endocarp; as it is rather light, it can be carried long distances by water while keeping its germinability for a long time.
Although it takes up to a year for coconuts to mature, the trees bloom up to thirteen times a year. Fruit is constantly forming, thus yielding a continuous harvest year-round. An average harvest from one tree runs about 60 coconuts, with some trees yielding three times that amount.

References

(1) Coconut, Wikipedia
(2) Coconut Oil, Wikipedia
(3) Coconut History, by Peggy Towbridge Filippone, About.com

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