By Fakhitah Yusuf
Trees have been playing an important role in this world. The method to preserve Earth must always be to plant trees. The trees release oxygen, which is used by humans to breathe. Therefore, there is a day dedicated to appreciating the role of the trees in the ecosystem. For this year’s National Tree Day, let's talk about the coconut tree, a common tropical plant in Malaysia. It is categorised as palm trees and is grown throughout the humid tropical zone that fruit all year around.
Let us start with the fruit itself, the coconut. It consists of coconut meat, coconut water, the husks, and the shell. The coconut meat has been widely used by turning it into coconut milk. The milk is processed by milking the meat and has been used in many cookings. It gives the dish a rich, creamy taste. Malay traditional dishes that use coconut milk are nasi lemak, ketupat, lemang, and rendang. It could also be consumed directly if it comes from young coconut fruit. The layer of meat will be much thinner than what was processed to be coconut milk.
Furthermore, coconut water is such a refreshing drink to consume. As the daughter of a paddy farmer, I learnt that my father drinks coconut water after he’s done dealing with insecticides to keep the parasites from destroying the paddy farm. The coconut water works as an antioxidant against poison. However, it should be consumed with good knowledge in mind because it can also act as poison in the body if you consume it wrongly. It may lead to food poisoning, which is most likely to bring death. That was the warning the elders have shared.
Meanwhile, for the husk and the shell, they can be used separately or together. For the husks or the coir, it can be used as plant compost, brushes, and ropes. Another name for it is coconut fibre. As for the shells, they can be created into bowls, musical instruments, and handicrafts. Hence, the shell was used to be played in a traditional game. It was also used as shoes, attached with a rope, and the people wearing it would compete in a race. Moreover, if both of them are used together, they will make a good source of fuel, as they function similarly to charcoal.
It has only been about the fruit. Let us move on to the other parts of the coconut tree. The trunk was used as a bridge back then, and it can still be found in certain rural areas. It was used as a temporary bridge by villagers before there was enough money to build a concrete bridge. Additionally, in Hawaii, the trunk was used to make drums, while the leaves have been used as wrapping for ketupat Jawi, a Malay traditional dish associated with the celebration of Eid. The coconut leaves have a long shape, and are attached to the fronds. The skewers from the leaves were used to make brooms; we call them penyapu lidi.
There are so many uses of the coconut tree. A single tree can give us a lot of benefits. There was a saying by the elders referring to the coconut tree: the tree of a thousand uses. Thus, let us preserve the trees by planting them more. As narrated by Anas bin Malik: Allah's Apostle said, "There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him." (Sahih Bukhari)
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