Ingredients
The nut
- 1sprouting coconut, with a shoot 15 to 40 cm long
Equipment
- a machete or heavy cleaver
- a firm chopping block
Nothing else is used
- no sugar, no salt, no preparation
Directions
- Shake the nut and listen: there should be no water sloshing inside. A nut with water left has not converted yet and is not ready.
- Set the nut on a firm block with the shoot end away from you. Work around the nut, prising the fibrous husk away in sections.
- Take your time with the blade, since coconut husk turns a knife easily. Now opening the shell, which should be done carefully.
- Hold the bare nut in one hand over a bowl.
- Turn it as you tap so a crack travels all the way round. It should look like a firm sponge and should give slightly when pressed.
- Discard it if it is grey, slimy or smells fermented. Discard it if it has gone brown and woody in the centre. Now eating it, which needs no preparation at all.
- Scoop the ball out whole with your fingers or a spoon. The texture is soft and spongy, somewhere between marshmallow and bread.
Technique
- Choose a nut with a shoot of fifteen to forty centimetres and no water sloshing inside.
- Discard any that is grey, slimy or smells fermented.
- It is eaten plain and immediately, since it goes leathery within a day.
Substitutions
- There is no substitute, since it only forms in a sprouting nut.
- A husking spike in place of a machete.
Variations
- Sliced and fried, which is done occasionally.
- Eaten together with the soft flesh lining the shell.
- Blended into a drink with coconut water, which is a modern treatment.
History
When a coconut sprouts, the flesh converts into a soft absorbent ball; atoll children eat it fresh from the shell as a natural sweet.
Frequently asked questions
What is Iu?
Iu is a snack from Marshall Islands: spongy sweet coconut embryo scooped from a sprouting nut, eaten raw. When a coconut sprouts, the flesh converts into a soft absorbent ball; atoll children eat it fresh from the shell as a natural sweet.
How long does Iu take to make?
Iu takes 10 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 serving per nut. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Iu?
Yes, within limits. There is no substitute, since it only forms in a sprouting nut. A husking spike in place of a machete.
