February 3 | Mulanay, Quezon, Philippines.
Coco-Lunay Festival was celebrated highlighting the origin of the town and the major source of income of its populace which is coco. A contest was held wherein the participants from clustered schools in the municipality were dressed up with coconut materials, embroidered with different agri-products and painted natively to accentuate the Coco-Lunay Festival.
Here are the reasons why Coconuts are being honored for:
I am sure you have heard about coconut oil and chances are that you are already using it for one thing or another. Whether it is to prepare food, use it for your hair and skin or for oil pulling, coconut oil is one of the healthiest and most versatile natural products out there. Another popular coconut product is coconut water which has become the latest super-health drink and seems to be everywhere. But there are many other amazing coconut products that you don’t want to miss out on!
The coconut palm
The coconut palm is rightly named the tree of life as it provides us with food, shelter and livelihood in so many ways; literally every part of it can be used for something.
When you think of coconut palms you probably get this feeling of exotic bounty beaches and lush green rain forests. Makes sense because the coconut palm needs a lot of sunshine, regular rainfall and high humidity, typically found in the tropics. Initially there were two kinds of coconuts with distinct DNA. One originated in the area of the Pacific Ocean in countries including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The second kind in the Indian Ocean in countries including India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. From there they spread throughout the world, some naturally, others by trade and colonization.
The coconut palm can grow up to 30 meters / 98 feet tall with fruits of 30-40 cm, / 12-18 inches in length. It takes about 6-10 years for the palm tree to grow its first fruit and can then, under optimal conditions produce up to 100 fruits per year. The growth process from flower to mature coconut takes about a year. It can take anywhere between 15-20 years for the palm tree to reach its peak stage of production. Coconuts are in season all year long. 
Nut, seed or fruit?
Unlike their name suggests, coconuts aren’t really nuts but form part of the drupe family which are fruits consisting of a fleshy external part with a pit and seed inside. Drupes have three layers; the outer layer, a fleshy middle layer and a hard layer that surrounds the seed. Mangoes, olives, almonds, peaches and cherries are other drupe varieties.
Coconuts are multi-purpose fruits full with health benefits. They have supplied humanity with its ingenious uses for thousands of years. Here are some of the healthiest and tastiest coconut products:
Coconut water
This is the clear liquid found in young coconuts of between 6-10 months old. Every coconut stage and variety has a different flavor; the older the sweeter.
Coconut water is very popular for its hydrating properties and nutritious value found in its electrolytes; important minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium.
Coconut jelly
The meat of very young coconuts has a jelly-like consistency. You can just scoop it out of the shell and eat it as is, or use it in several dishes and desserts. Some people feed it to their babies, it’s very healthy, easy to eat and babies love it. Coconut jelly can also be found in Asian stores cut into cubes with syrup in a jar.
Coconut meat
At first a young coconut doesn’t have any ‘’meat’’ or kernel inside, just water. When it’s about 7 months old it starts to have soft jelly-like meat. The more the coconut matures, the more solid and thick the meat becomes. This white coconut meat is creamy and rich in taste. It’s packed with healthy fats called MCT’s
Coconut milk
Coconut milk isn’t actually found inside the coconut but is made from grated coconut meat and added water. It’s a traditional homemade drink in many tropical countries. Coconut milk is highly nutritious; it is rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins B,C and E as well as healthy fatty acids MCT’s. During the production of coconut milk the liquid will separate into a cream that can be skimmed off and used for another coconut product; coconut cream. It looks similar to coconut milk but is thicker and creamier; perfect for recipes that require a rich consistency.
Coconut oil
This is oil extracted from either fresh or dried coconut meat, from coconuts between 10-20 months old. Fresh coconut meat is used to produce virgin coconut oil, while dried coconut meat (copra) is used for refined coconut oil. Coconut oil is very suitable for all methods of cooking, baking and frying, in desserts and in snacks because it compliments both savory and sweet dishes. It contains a lot of healthy saturated fat, which makes it the most heat-stable and healthy fat to cook with.
Shredded coconut
Made from dehydrated coconut meat and typically used in desserts, baking and in fruit salads. Coconut flakes are a tasty, healthy snack on their own or combined with nuts, seed and other fruit.
Coconut butter
Coconut flakes are mixed in a food processor, optionally with some added coconut oil to make creamy coconut butter. It can be used as a vegan, dairy free butter replacement, nut-free nut butter, as a base for desserts such as fudge and for frosting. Coconut butter is sometimes also sold under the name ”coconut manna”.
Coconut flour
Dehydrated or air/oven dried coconut meat is blended to flour. Coconut flour makes a great gluten-free flour and can replace regular wheat or other grain flours in most recipes. It has a mildly sweet taste, but is not dominant, so it can also be used in savory dishes. Coconut flour has the highest fiber content of all flours 48% and is low in carbohydrates.
Coconut syrup or Toddy
Extracted juice from flower buds of the coconut palm is heated to evaporate the liquid, until it transforms into a syrup consistency. It can be used as a sweetener, to prepare desserts or be further processed to make: Coconut sugar When coconut syrup becomes very sticky, it is removed from the flame and stirred until it becomes granular. Coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar is the sweetest of all coconut products. It has become very popular in recent years as it is a healthier substitute for refined white sugar.
Coconut vinegar
The last on today’s list of coconut products is coconut vinegar. Fermented coconut water from either young coconuts or from the sap of the coconut palm is used to make coconut vinegar.
Quite impressive right? And that’s only one side of coconut’s amazing versatility. The coconut shell, husk, coir, leaves, trunks and roots are used to produce brushes, ropes,carpets, fishing nets, fuel, charcoal, mattress filling, musical instruments and much more.
Kahit Saan 