When one thinks of a tropical beach, they usually picture a palm tree coconut flour bread over clear blue water. Indeed, coconut palms are common sights on tropical beaches around the world. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, coconut palms bear fruit abundantly, and coconut fruits are used in all sorts of products these days.

Did you know that there are many different types of coconuts? You can find them all over the world as they make up a large portion of the plants in many tropical and subtropical ecosystems. There is only one species of coconut palm: Cocos nucifera. The species is ubiquitous among tropical beaches around the world, but it’s not entirely clear where the species originated. Coconut palms most likely came from Southeast Asia and Indonesia and were then distributed around the world by humans for cultivation. They can be separated into tall and dwarf varieties, but before we go into the different types of coconuts, let’s go over what makes the coconut fruit so special! Botanically speaking, the coconut fruit is a type of drupe, which is any fruit containing one large seed.

In the case of a coconut, the seed is huge, round, brown, and rock hard. You may be familiar with the seed’s durability if you’ve ever tried to open one. One of the most incredible products of the fruit is coconut water. The clear liquid is slightly sweet and incredibly refreshing. It has tons of nutrients too, so it’s a great alternative to regular water.

Coconut meat is the white fleshy substance found inside the hard shell of a coconut. Ripe coconuts have harder meat while young coconuts have smooth, soft meat. Regardless of ripeness, coconut meat contains all sorts of beneficial fats and oils that can boost your immune system, help control weight loss, and reduce blood sugar, among other things. Coconut oil and coconut milk are both derived from the meat of the coconut. Coconut oil is an excellent alternative to other cooking oil like olive or canola oil. Coconut milk has a rich, sweet taste and is a common ingredient in Asian dishes like curries.