Ingredients
The coconut
- 1young green drinking coconut per person
Equipment
- a heavy knife or a machete
- a stable cutting surface
- a spoon, for the jelly
Optional
- a squeeze of lime
- ice
- a straw
Directions
- Pick it up and judge the weight in your hand. Shake it gently beside your ear. You should hear very little sloshing inside.
- Brown patches and soft spots mean it is past its best. A safety warning about opening it comes next.
- Use a heavy knife and a stable surface. Keep your other hand well clear of the blade. Never hold the coconut in your hand while cutting.
- Stand the coconut upright on a stable board. Trim the pointed end so it sits steady. Work around the top, taking one slice at a time.
- Keep going until you see the pale inner shell. That inner shell is thin and easy to pierce.
- Trim the top as before to expose the shell. Turn the nut and strike again on the same line.
- Work around until the top lifts off as a cap. Drinking it is done immediately. Add a squeeze of lime if you like. The inside is lined with soft translucent flesh.
Technique
- Coconut water inside an intact young nut is naturally sterile, which is part of why it is drunk so widely across the tropics.
- Kulau in Papua New Guinea and similar roadside coconut drinks across Southeast Asia are the same practice under different names.
Substitutions
- Trimmed young coconuts sold as white cones in supermarkets are far easier to open.
- Cartons of coconut water are a distant substitute and taste noticeably flatter.
Variations
- Some stalls chill the whole nut before opening it.
- The jelly is scooped out and eaten with sugar in some places.
- Mature coconut is used for milk and cream rather than drunk.
History
Tetum for coconut water; sold along Timorese coast roads and cut open with a machete to order.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bee Nuu?
Bee Nuu is a drink from Timor-Leste: green coconut water drunk straight from the nut at roadside stalls. Tetum for coconut water; sold along Timorese coast roads and cut open with a machete to order.
How long does Bee Nuu take to make?
Bee Nuu takes 5 minutes of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 coconut per person. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Bee Nuu?
Yes, within limits. Trimmed young coconuts sold as white cones in supermarkets are far easier to open. Cartons of coconut water are a distant substitute and taste noticeably flatter.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bee Nuu?
Use a heavy knife and a stable surface. Keep your other hand well clear of the blade. Never hold the coconut in your hand while cutting.
