The populated islands of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain lie at the northern border of the Coconut Belt, where the palm tree Cocos nucifera prefers to grow, thriving in the sandy soil and salty wind of the tropics. It is the historic tree of life for the peoples of the Pacific and Indian oceans.
A coconut tree’s usefulness is extraordinary: Its massive leaves provide thatching and bedding, its timber is both sturdy and seaworthy, it is a source of sweet water, and its pulp can produce fatty milk or be dried and pressed to make oil. Coconut husk can be woven or braided to create rope, and the polished coconut itself makes an excellent vessel for storing fine jewelry or drinking ‘awa.
The niu—the Hawaiian word for coconut—is a “canoe plant,” brought to Hawai‘i as cargo aboard the double-hulled sailing canoes of intrepid Polynesian voyagers, and later planted inland. Some coastal groves are the result of drupes that have been carried by wind and current, capable of surviving for up to four months at sea. Hawai‘i’s coastlines bear remnants of hundreds of cultivated coconut groves planted over generations as part of the endogenous economy that developed over centuries. Within the last several years, some groves have also been planted in an attempt to build a coconut industry.
Coconut-based foods are staples of a traditional and contemporary Polynesian diet. Coconut milk can be stewed for hours with squid and taro leaves to make squid lū‘au, or it can be prepared quickly with a thickener (starch or gelatin) and sugar to create the universally beloved haupia.
For tourists craving the traditional experience, coconut harvesting is still performed at lū‘au across the islands. As part of the display, men crack jokes while tree climbing, husking, grating, and straining coconut milk, and occasionally starting a fire. The jokes, like the uses of the coconut itself, have become ubiquitous, best delivered in Hawaiian Pidgin or a Samoan accent: Eh, you guys get dry skin? Coconut oil. Split ends? Coconut oil. Divorcing? Coconut oil. Never gets old.
The coconut is resilient to climate change and has become en vogue for its water and oil over the last decade. These days, the coconut-based goods business is worth more than $2 billion worldwide. While the notion of becoming rich off a nearly indestructible tropical tree is nothing new, it never stuck in Hawai‘i. Even when the Honolulu Star Bulletin’s front page exclaimed “Very Enthusiastic Over Coconut Industry” in 1913, the sugar and pineapple industries dominated the economy of the Territorial Era, and coconuts were relegated to the ubiquitous groves of the islands. Harvesting coconuts remains dangerous and labor intensive, and most farmers have better luck with produce nearer to the ground.
If your favorite coconut product has ties to Hawai‘i, that doesn’t mean the coconuts necessarily come from the islands. Indonesia, the Philippines, and India dominate the international coconut trade, with Caribbean and African countries increasing production to meet demand. But the coconuts seen at Hawai‘i’s roadside kiosks and small restaurants are mostly from local landowners who supply their own small bounty with their community, family, and those passing through.
The niu (coconut) was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by early Polynesian settlers.
Coconut-based foods are staples of a Polynesian diet.
The populated islands of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain lie at the northern border of the Coconut Belt, where the palm tree Cocos nucifera prefers to grow, thriving in the sandy soil and salty wind of the tropics. It is the historic tree of life for the peoples of the Pacific and Indian oceans.
A coconut tree’s usefulness is extraordinary: Its massive leaves provide thatching and bedding, its timber is both sturdy and seaworthy, it is a source of sweet water, and its pulp can produce fatty milk or be dried and pressed to make oil. Coconut husk can be woven or braided to create rope, and the polished coconut itself makes an excellent vessel for storing fine jewelry or drinking ‘awa.
The niu—the Hawaiian word for coconut—is a “canoe plant,” brought to Hawai‘i as cargo aboard the double-hulled sailing canoes of intrepid Polynesian voyagers, and later planted inland. Some coastal groves are the result of drupes that have been carried by wind and current, capable of surviving for up to four months at sea. Hawai‘i’s coastlines bear remnants of hundreds of cultivated coconut groves planted over generations as part of the endogenous economy that developed over centuries. Within the last several years, some groves have also been planted in an attempt to build a coconut industry.
Coconut-based foods are staples of a traditional and contemporary Polynesian diet. Coconut milk can be stewed for hours with squid and taro leaves to make squid lū‘au, or it can be prepared quickly with a thickener (starch or gelatin) and sugar to create the universally beloved haupia.
For tourists craving the traditional experience, coconut harvesting is still performed at lū‘au across the islands. As part of the display, men crack jokes while tree climbing, husking, grating, and straining coconut milk, and occasionally starting a fire. The jokes, like the uses of the coconut itself, have become ubiquitous, best delivered in Hawaiian Pidgin or a Samoan accent: Eh, you guys get dry skin? Coconut oil. Split ends? Coconut oil. Divorcing? Coconut oil. Never gets old.
The coconut is resilient to climate change and has become en vogue for its water and oil over the last decade. These days, the coconut-based goods business is worth more than $2 billion worldwide. While the notion of becoming rich off a nearly indestructible tropical tree is nothing new, it never stuck in Hawai‘i. Even when the Honolulu Star Bulletin’s front page exclaimed “Very Enthusiastic Over Coconut Industry” in 1913, the sugar and pineapple industries dominated the economy of the Territorial Era, and coconuts were relegated to the ubiquitous groves of the islands. Harvesting coconuts remains dangerous and labor intensive, and most farmers have better luck with produce nearer to the ground.
If your favorite coconut product has ties to Hawai‘i, that doesn’t mean the coconuts necessarily come from the islands. Indonesia, the Philippines, and India dominate the international coconut trade, with Caribbean and African countries increasing production to meet demand. But the coconuts seen at Hawai‘i’s roadside kiosks and small restaurants are mostly from local landowners who supply their own small bounty with their community, family, and those passing through.
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