This morning I caught Wayan at the edge of the steepest bit of garden, staring thoughtfully down at a coconut tree growing out of the bank. The nuts were ripening nicely.
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No. Absolutely not.” I said sternly. Just getting to the tree, much less climbing it, would be dangerous. A tumble would send the climber straight to the stony riverbed far below. The succulent nuts would ripen unplucked and fall as offerings to the legendary River People. Wayan turned away reluctantly; she is very partial to fresh coconut. Although she doesn’t know it, she is on the cutting edge of nutritional research.
Recent studies confirm that fresh coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils in the world. Several websites offer premium organic virgin coconut oil for sale as a health supplement at US$ 18 (Rp 160,000) for small bottle. Once reviled as dangerous, it is now a rising star in the culinary world. Coconut oil is digested more easily and ultilized differently in the body than other fats. We learn that it’s not stored in the body cells like other oils but is converted immediately to energy, raising the metabolism and helping fight obesity and diabetes. It’s also said to benefit those with Crohn’s disease. It contains no dangerous trans-fats and can in fact help lower your cholesterol.
Virgin coconut oil made from fresh nuts (not dried coconut meat) is more nutritious than commercial oils. It’s also rich in lauric acid, a proven antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal agent that helps build the body’s immune system. The lauric acid in coconut oil is used by the body to create the same fatty acid derivative monolaurin that babies make from the lauric acid in their mothers’ milk. (Human milk and coconuts are the two top sources of lauric acid.) Ongoing research indicates that monolaurin can be effective in combating the AIDS virus.
All commercial cooking oils (except olive oil) are refined, bleached, deodorized, hydrogenated, heated and many have added chemicals. The coconut oil in my house has nothing added, and the only technology it passes through is Wayan’s bare brown hand. She and her mother-in-law take freshly gathered coconuts, grate the meat finely, squeeze it by hand with some water and leave it covered overnight. The oil rises naturally to the surface, and she pours it into a clean bottle. That’s all there is to it. She brings in a bottle of this nectar every couple of weeks.
There is no aroma or flavour that can compare to fresh coconut oil. I often take the top off the jar and just inhale its rich perfume. Every tropical culture for thousands of years has known that anything this natural and delicious just has to be good for you, inside and out. We cook with it, add it to the dog’s food, rub it into our hands and faces and use it as a base for massage oil. Wayan uses it as a hair conditioner and an Australian friend told me it cured her dandruff problem. I use coconut oil to make hot oil infusions of herbs, simmering them all day over hot water and then straining off the green oil, which hardens in the fridge to form an easily used salve. When my terracotta floors were new, Wayan insisted on rubbing finely grated coconut into them until they gleamed. We are now developing a recipe for macaroons using fresh coconut and red palm sugar.
How did coconut oil get such a bad reputation? Faulty research done 40 years ago on hydrogenated (not fresh) coconut oil combined with a popular but unproven hypothesis that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol and polyunsaturated fatty acids can lower blood cholesterol. In fact, it seems to this day that no one has proven that lowering cholesterol levels can prevent coronary heart disease (people with low cholesterol drop dead of blocked arteries too). And don’t overlook the economic advantages of promoting home-grown oils such as canola, soy, corn and safflower oil to American big business.
It is interesting to note that until the early part of the last century, the North American diet was heavy on meat, cheese, eggs and butter. At this time, heart disease accounted for about 10% of all deaths — many fewer than pneumonia or tuberculosis. Hydrogenated vegetable oils appeared about 1910, with technology constantly ‘improving’ the product. By mid-century, corn oil and margarine had largely replaced butter in the diet because popular theory (strongly supported by the corn industry) held that corn oil was healthier. Starting about this time, coronary heart disease became the leading cause of death. Probably a coincidence.
I have eight half-grown coconut trees in my garden which we hope will start producing in a couple of years. Wayan loves being able to go out in the yard and pick fruit, vegetables, herbs and obat. She’ll be in heaven when our coconuts start to ripen. As for me, I’m tempted to go into the coconut oil business. All my trees are virgins.
Isn’t it satisfying when research confirms common sense? The wheel turns, and we’re being told to eat natural, traditional foods. I’m happy about this. All my favourite foods, including wine and cheese, fall into this group. Now I can feel virtuous about consuming premium organic virgin coconut oil on a regular basis. The going rate in Ubud is Rp 6,000 for a small bottle.
