Island Living… Keiki Style: Niu (Coconuts)

The coconut tree is one of the most useful plants of the islands.  Besides food and drink, it offers shade, huts, hats, baskets, mats, clothing, brooms, fans, ornaments, oil and much more!  Traditionally, a coconut palm was planted at the birth of a kama’aina (Hawaiian baby) and would live and bear fruit for 70 to 100 years, thus providing for the keiki into adulthood and for their entire lives. 

As food, the niu flesh or meat is used for different purposes.  The spoon meat of a green coconut is called o’io and is soft and jelly-like.  Many prefer to eat the meat at this stage.  The next stage is the haohao, when the shell is still white and the flesh is still soft.  The flesh of the mature nut is malo’o and is used to make kulolo.  Haupia is made with niu cream.

Coconut meat helps with digestion but don’t eat too much of the mature malo’o as it will act as a laxative!

Teaching our local children how to utilize the native plants inHawaiiis an important step in sustainability and respect for the aina (land).