Seabed Coconut or Coco de Mer

Ingredient Name:  Seabed Coconut, also known as Coco de Mer, Double Coconut, Coco Fesse or Seychelles Nut.  Its scientific name is Lodoicea maldivica.

Traditional Chinese Name:  海底椰 (hai di ye)

• It is the fruit of the Coco de Mer palm tree
• The fruits are known to produce the largest fruit known to man
• The fruit takes 6-7 years to mature and another 2 years to germinate
• It was mytically believed to grow from the bottom of the sea (hence part of its name)
• The fruit is commonly used in Chinese medicine
• The trees are considered “threatened” and “vulnerable” and have become extinct in many tropical islands where they used to grow

How do I prepare it?

• Fresh seabed coconut is usually found in frozen form and prepackaged (see picture on the left)
• Remove packaging and thaw at room temperature for at least an hour
• Wash in warm water to remove debris and dirt
• You can halve it or use it whole in soup
• Dried seabed coconut needs to be rinsed with warm water and can directly be added to soups (see picture on the right)

Where can I buy this?

What is the cost?

• A bag of 6 frozen seabed coconuts cost around $25 HKD / bag

Any benefits?

• Seabed coconuts are said to help nourish the skin and keep skin tone even
• It asissts in eliminating sputum and suppressing cough
• It also assists in removing mild heatiness
• When boiled in soups, it is mild enough for children and ideal for everyone to drink

Any precautions?

• Use with neutral vegetables (such as corn and carrots)

Additional Information?

• Dried seabed coconut have a long shelf life of up to a year if kept in the fridge
• Frozen seabed coconut can be kept for up to 1 month in the freezer, but if thawed, must be used within a few days

Resources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lodoicea_maldivica
• http://www.seabean.com/guide/Lodoicea_maldivica/index.htm