cracking a coconut

I am always trying to think of things that are 'different' here in Haiti. Or finding something interesting that you might want to read about. So many things are just 'normal' life now. I loose track of my other life in the United States. But yesterday as I was skyping with my mother she asked me about how we crack coconuts down here. She had bought one from the grocery store in Milbank, SD in Febuary and wondered how we do it here. So I thought you all should know.

First you have to get the coconut so someone - often times a young boy climbs up the coconut tree to knock them out of tree. I have seen this many times and am still baffled by it; they take off their shoes and just sort of shimmy up the tree. They reach up and grab and shake the tree until they drop to the ground. After they shimmy right on back down the tree.
Then they take a machete and chop it around one side. Sort of forming like a icecream shape bottom. Then when they are close to the middle they slice the top. When the white tender spot that is barely exposed is visible they stop and you carve out that part with a spoon. Then you drink the juice. Sometimes they put it in a glass for you too. But personally I prefer it straight from the coconut.













After they take that machete again and chop it in half. Then you dig out the center from the coconut shell with a spoon and eat the tender part in the middle. I like to just eat half it is very filling. From my experience with the other Americans it is usually half and half on who likes it and doesn't like it. But always the whole event is a true treat of a situation. Of coarse the favorite part is the climbing of the tree.
So I don't know how my mom ended up finishing her coconut. But I bet she didn't have the entertainment before hand.