Ingredients
Coconut
- 1green drinking coconut per person, freshly picked
Equipment
- a cane knife or a heavy cleaver
- a spoon, or a piece of the husk
To serve
- immediately, straight from the nut
Directions
- Shake it: you should hear a good volume of water sloshing inside. The husk should be green and firm rather than dry and brown.
- Set it on a solid surface, a block or the ground, and keep your other hand well clear. Vendors in Fiji do hold nuts in the hand while cutting, and they have done it thousands of times.
- Trim the pointed end of the husk away with several angled cuts, working around the nut.
- Use short controlled strikes rather than heavy swings. Aim to make a hole large enough to drink from without splitting the whole nut open.
Technique
- A drinking coconut is picked young, with a green husk and a soft interior.
- The water sours within hours of opening, so it is opened to order.
- The soft jelly is scraped out with a spoon cut from the husk.
Substitutions
- Bottled coconut water, which is pasteurised and quite different.
- A screwdriver and hammer in place of a cane knife.
Variations
- Served with the jelly scraped into the water.
- Chilled before opening, which many prefer.
- Used as a base for other drinks, though it is best plain.
History
Sold roadside across Viti Levu, the nut opened with a cane knife and the jelly scraped out afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bu?
Bu is a drink from Fiji: water drunk straight from a green drinking coconut, cool and faintly sweet. Sold roadside across Viti Levu, the nut opened with a cane knife and the jelly scraped out afterwards.
How long does Bu take to make?
Bu takes 5 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 nut per person. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Bu?
Yes, within limits. Bottled coconut water, which is pasteurised and quite different. A screwdriver and hammer in place of a cane knife.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bu?
Shake it: you should hear a good volume of water sloshing inside. The husk should be green and firm rather than dry and brown.
