My local produce manager and I enjoy a friendly competition of sorts whenever we face a new food. While she possesses a (vastly) wider range of knowledge about fruits and vegetables than I do, I own the larger (and more creative) arsenal of cooking ideas and combinations.
Yesterday I knew something was up when I heard her giggling behind the mango display. Before I could come closer, Ms. Manager pounced around the table and shoved a cellophane bag toward me.
The top of the bag held no identifying information because my dear friend, the self-proclaimed Produce Queen, had ripped the label off. Ms. Manager commanded, “Don’t come any closer. I don’t want you to see the back of this display. Go home and figure out what to do with these babies.”
I took them home and put them in a bowl. See:
I studied them, made a few calls, did some research and figured out their identity. These are palm nuts. They grow on the Coquito Palm of Chile, South America. The palm sap was popular as a palm honey and a palm wine since each trees average yield was about 90 gallons. Since the extraction of the sap causes the death of the tree, the Chilean government now protects these trees. The fruit is also edible as is the nut.
This brown coquito nut, also called cockernut, looks like a miniature coconut. It is about ½” to ¾” in diameter and has the same white meat texture on the inside. These are quite crunchy (so good teeth are essential if you decide to bite into one) and the flavor is very similar to coconut with an almond-like sweetness.
Now I need to figure out how to use them. They can, apparently, be softened by allowing them to sit in boiling water for approximately 20 minutes but I have no idea what to do with them after that. So far, I decided I could coat them with chocolate but that’s about all I have devised. Anyone have any ideas?
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Comments: 53
Banana-cockernut bread?
Cockernut cream pie?
Cockernut macaroons?
Good ideas all, Janna.
What about grating it like you might a coconut and use it as a topping? Or putting it in a salad? Or even in cookies that might be needing a little zing?
Grems, Thanks but grating these would ruin my fingers! They are the size of malted milk balls, like about 1/2" in diameter. Haha. I could crush them for salad or cookies though.
I think I'd chop them and put some of them into a homemade granola, which seems seasonally appropriate. I'd take it on outdoor adventures.
The chocolate coating sounds delicous, too, though.
I'd make a layer cake with them and some fresh fruit, homemade yellow cake, tapioca pudding, & homemade whipping cream.
Marilee, homemade granola is another good idea. I did try them crushed and sprinkled on fruit and it didn't give me the thrill I was hoping for. Thanks for some good ideas.
these sound yummy!! i like everyone's ideas.
Thanks, jessie.
Coooookies. With chocolate chips......mmmmm.
You little cookie monster, you! Maybe oatmeal cookies with a bit of coconut flavor though might be good.
they look good as is!
Robyn, thanks, and yes they are good just like they are too.
i agree, chop and put in cookies!
Thanks, Donna.
I've never seen these before ... and have no idea at all as to what to do with them. But you will figure it out.
Thanks for your support, Magi. I can always count on you.
My pleasure, Donna.
Chocolate pudding in a graham cracker pie with this grated and added to some cool whip. Yummy.
That's a very appealing idea J F! Thanks! I know a few kids that can be my taste testers for that one!
How very interesting, Madame Donna! Your produce manager sounds like quite a character.
I also thought this looked just like the inside of a coconut ... I can't wait to see what you come up with ... please keep us posted!
Marianne, yep, that she is! She's quite a great resource and advisor. Thanks.
Add to a soup
Holly, I hadn't thought of that one: curry soup would be good with a touch of coconut flavor sprinkled on top? Hmmm?
I just had to google Coquito Nuts to see what I could find:
These nuts come from the Chilean palm Jubaea chilensis which takes up to 50 years to start producing, but will remain productive for hundreds of years. Also known as mini coconuts, Coquito Nuts are similar in size and shape to a marble with a surface resembling wood and a white interior flesh. Coquito nuts are crunchy with a taste similar to a coconut but with a slight hint of almond.
Usage: Enjoy whole as a snack or grind and sprinkle on ice cream or yogurt. Delicious in fruit salads or dipped in chocolate sauce.
Never had them... They ARE cute! But as tediously boring I find it to clean and extract coconut meat from the regular sized coconut, I doubt I'd want to tackle itty-bitty versions of them... unless there is a painless way to do it like you could when you peel a tomato dunked in hot water for a few seconds?
Duckie, luckily these are ready to eat. The picture above shows the shelled nut and is completely edible as you see it. It is rather crunchy on the first bite though.
Lovely pictures, neat story and absolutely no idea.
Thanks, David.
since i'm allergic to coconut, i'd probably be allergic to these too.
I guess that might be so, CC. Thanks for coming to look anyway.
Well, I'll wait for your results!
Thanks, Cristina.
You've gotten a lot of creative ideas. And I learned something new!
Sherrie, thanks. I have received a lot of good ideas and I am looking forward to getting to work in the kitchen next week.
I'm away (I'll post a note on where if I get a chance to tear myself away from the beach to do it) but I think I'd shave them over ice cream, or boil, save the water, and make a custard with them (with some shaved on top. Have at it, Girl! I'm sure you'll think of something.
Richard, thanks for dropping in while your suffering the perils of travel (cough, cough). I like your idea! Thanks for the support too.
I think you should grind them and use them in macaroons :-)
Thanks, Elaine, I will try that idea!
Grate coarsely over ice cream? Chop coarsely to use instead of walnuts in chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies? Eat out of hand? Press into cockernut milk to be used the same as almond or coconut milk?
Dorine, good ideas! Thanks very much.
Sounds like they would be delicious in yogurt.
Bob, I'll give that a try! Thanks.
Is there a way to peel them or maybe use a nutcracker and nut picker to get the middle out? I would chop them and use them as a topping on the merenge of a pie, key lime maybe?
Debra, there isn't any practical way to peel them because they are relatively small and in fact they are already shelled. The outer husklike thing is chewable so crushing them works pretty well. I've been using them to garnish ice cream and sorbet and even salad and that's working pretty well.
Bet you could use them ground in biscotti....
I have been doing a vegan version of NIC's spicy hazelnut biscotti??? in that new modern baker cookbook...and using almond meal instead of grinding almonds....works real well
have you figured out yet how soft they get when soaked...a little or much?
Wonder if they would make a paste or a filling..
OH I bet you could use them as a replacement for pecans in a pecan ball type cookie...
and I bet if you think on it...you could come up with a summer squash or zuchinni dish or soup or bread....they go good with coconut and almonds
Great ideas, Lou Anne! I did use them, ground up, in a version of a Mexican wedding cookie, and I used them chopped to coat a cheese ball. Oh, as for that almond meal you mentioned, I've found it quite good as breading for fish as a change of pace from flour or panko.