Mystery of the Macapuno Coconut

           Mystery of the Macapuno Coconut

The name macapuno or makapuno is derived from Tagalog makapuno, the local name of the phenotype in the Philippines, meaning "characterized by being full", a reference to the way the endosperm in macapuno coconuts fill the interior hollow of coconut seeds.

Dr Abe V Rotor

 

Above, left: The secret of breaking macapuno nut into perfect halves is to break the nut between the "eyes" with one solid stroke of a bolo. Scoop the jelly endosperm with spoon, and the soft periphery with manual grater or stripper.

Macapuno is made into cakes, pastries, halo-halo, preserves, ice cream and other unique preparations, real treats on special and ordinary occasions.

Macapuno or coconut sport is a naturally occurring coconut cultivar which has an abnormal development of the endosperm. The result of this abnormal development is a soft translucent jelly-like flesh that fills almost the entire central cavity of coconut seeds, with little to no coconut water. 

Macapuno was first described scientifically from wild specimens in 1931 by Edwin Copeland. They were cultivated commercially in the Philippines after the development of the "embryo rescue" in vitro culture technology in the 1960s by Emerita V. De Guzman. It has become an important crop in coconut-producing countries and is now widely used in the cuisines of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. 

In Indonesia there are two types of abnormal endosperm coconut, Kelapa Puan/Kopyor and Kelapa Lilin. Both are different types of coconut with very different characteristics and taste. (Wikipedia) ~