JAMAICAN FOODS



Coconut

 Coconuts are widely available in Jamaica and is consumed in a variety of ways. A young coconut is known as a "jelly" simply because the inside of the kernel, flesh or meat is as the name suggests a nice jelly that can be eaten with a spoon after the jelly water is consumed.
However, a more mature Coconut is hard and can be used in a variety
of ways to make a variety of dishes and oil.
At full maturity the coconut is used primarily to make oil. The "meat," the white part of the coconut is crushed and the oily liquid is extracted and distilled by boiling to remove water leaving a residue of oil.
The oil in this fashion is very nice to make what we call "run Dung" with a bit of Jamaican spices, salt fish  and some curry.
The crushed-up coconut can be used to make cakes and other Jamaican stuff like drops, grater cake and  gizzada.
 Coconut oil is, "rich in lauric acid, "which new research shows raises good type HDL cholesterol, lowering heart disease risk, Lauric acid is also anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antiviral, says lipid researcher Mary Enig, Ph.D., which also may help fight heart disease." (USA Today Sept. 26-28 2003)