Coconuts in Seminyak Bali

This morning we heard the sound of chains saws close to our house. No it wasn’t the security guys trying to bore their way in, it was another house close by chopping down coconut trees. This afternoon Ana went over to collect some of the spoils. Indonesians are actually aware any time fruit is hanging form a tree. Ika can spot different kinds of fruit a mile away, as well as crops. This afternoon Ana was busy with the chopper, cracking into a couple of kelapa (coconuts). For westerners who are not familiar with coconuts, they have a 5 centimeter thick husk, leading to a tough inner shell.

A baby coconut has milk that tastes slightly carbonated. Balinese food uses shredded coconut, and coconuts are an important part of Balinese ceremonial life. A bride will use a coconut as an object during a wedding ceremony, and a mother will have her afterbirth placed inside a coconut at hospital. She will bring it home and wrap it inside a white cloth before burying it outside the front door of the house.

Here’s Ana cutting coconuts with the chopper.