Trees of Life and Abundance

It’s hard to imagine a tropical paradise without the inclusion of coconuts. With their robust shells, tasty flesh, and nourishing liquids – coconuts possess many alluring qualities and types of uses. Known by 19 different local names, the versatile coconut has traversed through many regions across the globe because of its natural buoyancy and the aid of ocean waves.¹ These churning waves carried ancestral coconut palm seeds throughout tropical Asia and Oceania respectively. Additionally, travelers who encountered them also brought them along to share with others on their long journeys. As a result, many different cultures have unique relationships with coconuts; both local populations and colonizing empires were fascinated with the plant. Whether as food, medicine, and or as part of spiritual rituals, the coconut has truly had a wide impact on a number of civilizations.

Botanical Details

Colloquially, the term “coconut” is used to refer to either the seed or fruit of the coconut palm or Cocos nucifera; older archival documents have also referred to coconuts with the spelling “cocoanut”.² Cocos refers to the monotypic genus of the family Arecaceae, while nucifera translates to “nut bearing”. ³ Hilariously, the “nut” of coconut is a misnomer because the fruit is botanically a drupe.³ This scientific name also takes inspiration from early Spanish explorers’ descriptions, who compared the indentations and shagginess of the coconut to resemble a monkey’s head and face.

Coconut palms grow best in locations with free-draining aerated soil, access to fresh groundwater, consistent humidity, and temperatures ranging between 27°C and 30°C. It is considered a native species in the countries of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its exotic distribution range is large and multicontinental, typically spanning cross tropical regions located from 25° North and 25° South of the equator.⁴ As previously mentioned, coconuts have high capacity of natural dispersion because they can float and are very resilient-- they can stay afloat for up to 120 days in seawater and readily germinate once they make landfall.⁵ Unsurprisingly, many countries all over the world are involved in the growth and production of coconuts. At a global level, the top three producers of coconuts are The Philippines, Indonesia, and India.

Historical Overview

The origins of the coconut began with the breaking up of the pre-historic landmass Gondwana approximately 80 million years ago. The ancestors of the coconut palm flourished on Gondwana’s northern coasts, where they thrived on the sandy spaces right above high-tide lines. Unsurprisingly, these coconut palms provided ample nutrients to the inhabitants of these areas – from scurrying coconut crabs (Birgus latro) and giant white-tailed rats (Uromys caudimaculata) to humans. It's difficult to pinpoint when and where humans first started using coconuts, given that much archaeological evidence has been lost to time and the elements.

Traditional and Folk Medicine

Coconuts are widely used in both Traditional Khmer (TKM) and Folk medicine (KFM) systems (White 1996; White 2004; Walker 2017; Dam 2022). The difference between Khmer “traditional” versus “folk” medicine is that TKM practices are led by specialist healers, while KFM are the applications of these TKM practices by people who are not trained healers. TKM began during the Angkor Period (9 to 15 century AD) of the Khmer Empire. Early TKM practitioners combined aspects of other nearby medical systems, such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), along with local beliefs and superstitions to form the basis of TKM as we know it (Ashwell and Walston, 2008).

Traditional Khmer Medicine has four primary forms of care: (1) humoral maintenance, (2) herbal medicines, (3) dermabrasion and (4) spiritual offerings. There are many different types of TKM healers, but many people often refer to them as Kru Khmer or "Khmer Teachers". TKM healers are often leaders or active members of their community who hold many other roles in addition to that of healer -- for example, some are also Buddhist monks.

Both the TKM and KFM systems partially rely on a humoral framework, meaning that the body is believed to be made up of 4 different humors whose conditions need to be balanced in order to achieve good health (Fagay 2002). One is considered healthiest when the bodily humors of blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm are co-existing harmoniously. This humoral equilibrium is achieved by addressing the different natural elements and conditions of each humor such as “hotness”, “coldness”, “wetness”, and “dryness”. These conditions were believed to form each humor’s “complexion”.

However, it is important to note that these complexions have nothing to do with actual temperatures or humidity – in fact, some substances even have varying complexions based on their form. For example, boiling water can have a cold complexion while ice has a hot complexion. Also, different humors have been historically associated with different bodily organs, seasons, and temperaments. These associations often played a role in the diagnosing and treatment of one’s illnesses – people often blamed bad weather, rotten food, or emotional events as triggers for disease and sickness. Doctors would then prescribe specific foods or activities to alleviate the humoral imbalance in order to correct it. Certain foods were suggested to be avoided or eaten, in addition to changes in one's behaviour and activities. There are numerous debates about where and when the humoral model began, considering many ancient systems of medicine, from different corners fo the world and contexts, arrived at similar ideas around health and disease.

Coconuts, depending on what stage of growth or part being used, have different humoral complexions in both the TKM and KFM systems. As a result, for some diseases or illnesses, different parts of the coconut may be prescribed as medicine, while others can be considered harmful and are suggested to be avoided entirely. At times, these differences cause difficulties for people seeking care using TKM and KFM medicines. For example, during maternity, it is important for a pregnant person to consume special maternity wines or sraa saaw (white rice wines) for a variety of reasons beneficial to individual health, the unborn child’s health, and beyond. Many of these sraa saaw include various fruits like the coconut, mixed together with rice grains, and fermented for some time. While the coconut water is considered nourishing for its humoral “cooling” effects during pregnancy, eating the coconut’s flesh is discouraged because it is believed to make delivery harder because of its high fat content. Therefore, pregnant people must proceed with caution when it comes to their use and consumption of coconuts, both as food and or medicine, under the TKM and KFM systems.

Medicinal Coconut Varieties, Parts, and Recipes

Food and Cuisine

In Cambodia, the entirety of the coconut tree is used for many things – building materials, charcoal, folk dances, and of course food (Nak 2019, 28). Both young and ripe coconuts are consumed, either raw or cooked into dishes of all types (Ibid). Dollops of rich coconut cream mixed into curries, stir-fries, and sweets. Crunchy and crispy fried dishes perfectly blossomed in coconut oil. Refreshing coconut water in various drink infusions – the possibilities do seem endless. The following three dishes all feature coconut as a crucial ingredient in their making; they are also quite popular options on restaurant and celebratory menus.

Cambodian cuisine is both complex and simple. It relies heavily on local ingredients, with fresh and wild fruits, herbs, and vegetables being at the core. Although “Cambodian” and “Khmer” are often used interchangeably, it is important to know that “Cambodian” refers to the collective of all ethic groups of Cambodia while “Khmer” specifically highlights the Khmer ethic group. Given that the Khmer people make up an estimated 94 percent of the population, many foods and dishes considered “traditional” are often Khmer dishes (Minority Rights International). In addition to TKM and KFM (food-)medicines, coconuts are used in several everyday and celebratory dishes.

Amok អាម៉ុក is a steamed curry with a coconut cream base cooked while enveloped in banana leaves. It is considered one of, if not the, national dish of Cambodia. While there are some variations that use chicken, pork, beef, or tofu as the protein base, the original dish calls for freshwater fish like snakehead or goby. It was said to be a dish created during the times of the glorious Khmer Empire – a delicacy fit only for royalty (Gillan, 2017). Some variations feature different nutritious greens, all of which are dependent on the season (Nak, 2019). It is eaten for both lunch and dinner with some steamed white rice. However, it is not an everyday dish. While some restaurants in Cambodia do serve Amok, it typically takes a long time to make if made the traditional way. As a result, arguably “authentic” Amok is a celebratory dish you might find at weddings or other important ceremonies.

Cha Kroeung ឆាគ្រឿង is typical Khmer stir-fry. Kroeung is a fundamental spice paste base for many dishes in Cambodian cuisine. At the heart of it all is lemongrass, but the makrut lime leaves, galangal, garlic, shallots, and turmeric all have their role. This stir-fry dish combines Kroeung together with coconut cream and a protein of choice. Occasionally, additional vegetables and chilis will be added. It is served for lunch and dinner with some steamed white rice.

Nhum Chakchan នំច័ក្កច័ន is a creamy layered coconut dessert that is quick and easy to prepare. It’s hard to imagine Cambodian desserts without coconut, palm sugar, rice, tapioca, or fruit involved. It is sweet, bouncy, and adds a pop of colour in every bite. It’s no surprise it is a well-known and very popular treat at social gatherings and holiday celebrations.

References