Maldives walnut. Unique palm tree in the Seychelles (11 photos). Sea coconut recipes
Description of the Seychelles nut - one of the most outlandish on the planet. Calorie content and chemical composition of sea coconut, its benefits and harms. How to eat coco de mer. Interesting facts about the fruits of the Seychellois palm.
The content of the article:
Coco de mer is the name of the fruit of the Seychellois palm, which belongs to the Lodoicea maldivica species, Arecaceae family. This nut is also called double, palm, sea coconut, etc. Due to its wide distribution, it is the national symbol of the Seychelles, along with other attributes of the palm tree of the same name. Such popularity is so high that tourists often take a photo with a Seychelles nut as a keepsake. Despite the fact that the remote shores of the archipelago have long been a haven for pirates, merchants and smugglers, Europeans got to know the fetus only in 1765, leaving cursory notes in ship logs about unusual fruits that repeat the shape of the female body. The size of coco de mer can be very different - from fitting in the palm of your hand to a meter in diameter, weighing 25 kg, and the maturation of a new nut can last up to 10 years. At the moment, the relic plant is found only on the ancient granite islands of Praslin and Curieuse, which are protected by law as nature reserves.
The composition and calorie content of the Seychellois
In its taste, an unusual fruit strongly resembles an ordinary coconut, but with less liquid and a softer, creamy filling.
The calorie content of sea coconut per 100 g is 359 kcal, among them:
- Fats - 22 g;
- Carbohydrates - 33 g;
- Proteins - 6 g.
Useful properties of sea coconut
Although one large fruit is expensive and difficult to bring from home, there are other ways to touch the natural benefits of the coco de mer nut. Pharmaceutical companies distribute powders made from the dried and ground fruit.
According to them, the benefits of sea coconut include:
- Improved circulation. Walnut pulp has a positive effect on the health of the cardiovascular system. Coco de mer reduces high blood pressure and keeps it at the right level.
- Cholesterol lowering. The consumption of this fruit lowers cholesterol levels and helps to break down fats that enter the body with food.
- Hormone control. It is believed that the product has a positive effect on the hormonal background, thereby improving erectile function in the male body. Often, sea coconut appears in the composition of exotic dietary supplements aimed at improving the quality of sexual intercourse.
- Help in the fight against diabetes. Sea coconut is a valuable product that can become a sweet substitute for diabetics. It is good to eat and healthy to lower blood sugar levels.
- Acceleration of digestion and metabolism. By simplifying the passage of food through the intestines, coco de mer helps to cleanse it. The benefits of Seychellois are to remove toxins and more effective weight loss, provided that the diet is followed.
- Immunity Boost. The vitamins and minerals present in the product help the immune system fight pathogens of various diseases and keep the body healthy.
- Anti aging. The natural antioxidants found in sea coconut prevent oxidative damage produced by free radicals. As a result, tissues and organs remain young, healthy, and able to perform their immediate functions longer.
Contraindications and harm of coco de mer nut
Since this fruit is quite rare and exotic, scientific thought has not yet come to an unambiguous conclusion about its advantages and disadvantages.
The harm of the Seychellois for human health has not yet been described, there is not a single recorded case indicating poisoning or negative symptoms after eating coco de mer. However, you should not check such a statement for yourself, it is better to observe reasonable precautions.
Since sea coconut is quite high in calories, it is not recommended to eat it in large quantities - this can harm your figure and not fit into the established dietary framework.
There is a small chance of allergic reactions of varying severity when using coco de mer. In most cases, this applies to people with allergies to fruits, including ordinary coconut. No other harm to the product has been identified.
How to eat a coco de mer nut
The pulp of the Seychelles nut can be eaten raw or used in various dishes. It doesn't take much effort to understand how sea coconut is eaten. Just remove the outer hard shell and use the "stuffing" for its intended purpose.
There is practically no liquid inside the coco de mer, if we draw a parallel with its relative, the ordinary coconut.
Traditional island dishes with Seychelles nuts are numerous and varied, locals add it to rice and curry, vegetable and seafood dishes, make beer and soft drinks from fruits.
The lignified peel is in great demand even after the filling is eaten - it can be sold or left as a souvenir.
Sea coconut recipes
So, how is coco de mer nut eaten? Traditional dishes of the Seychelles are distinguished by their unusual composition and amazing taste. They are full of fish and seafood, tropical fruits and local spices. Here you can find hundreds of curry recipes, and none of them will be similar to the other.
Recipes with Seychellois:
- . This amount of ingredients is enough to prepare 6 servings of the dish. We will need: 1 kg of octopus meat, the pulp of 2 grated coconuts, 1 liter of coconut milk, 100 g of coco de mer, 2 large eggplants, cut into small cubes. From spices, take 3 tablespoons of saffron, 1 teaspoon of masala, 4 cloves of grated garlic, a small piece of ginger (grind), 5 whole fresh cinnamon leaves, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, salt and pepper for taste. Next, cut the octopus into not too large pieces and cook until the meat is soft (the fork should easily penetrate inside). Heat the oil in a frying pan and add spices to it so that they give their taste and aroma more fully. Pour in the coconut milk, add the octopus and coco de mer, then simmer the dish for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure that the liquid completely covers the contents of the container. Add eggplant and simmer another 5 minutes. Serve this stew with rice or pumpkin chutney.
- Seychelles traditional cake with coco de mer. To prepare the dough, take 1.5 cups of cornmeal, 8 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of sugar, as much ice water as needed to knead the hard dough. For the filling: 3 large eggs, 3 egg yolks, half a cup of sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 cups of milk, 1 cup of shredded sea coconut. For the garnish layer: 2 sliced bananas, 1 cup whipped cream, toasted coconut. Next, we proceed to the cooking process itself. We cut the butter, add flour and sugar, after which we continue to break the butter with a knife until pieces are formed, the size of a pea. Sprinkle them with water and knead with a fork, repeating the manipulations until a dense ball of dough is formed. Shape it into a "cake" and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Then roll out and place in a pre-oiled form. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, cover the dough with foil and bake the dough for 5-8 minutes. Now beat eggs, yolks, sugar, vanilla extract. Heat the milk with chopped coconut, then beat the hot mixture and add a few tablespoons to the egg so that the latter does not curdle. Place the container in the oven and let the custard thicken. When this happens, the filling can be poured into the baked cake, having previously cooled it. Top the pie with banana slices and whipped cream.
Interesting facts about the Seychellois coco de mer
Young palms grow very slowly, starting to bear fruit only in the 20th year of life, but mature trees can exist for 800 years.
Since the Seychelles is a huge island archipelago located in the middle of the ocean, large, but hollow from exposure to salt water, coconuts were found on the coasts of other countries, wondering and admiring their origin. There were legends that these are the famous fruits from the Garden of Eden, brought into our world by unknown currents. This is where the name "sea coconut" came from - there was a legend that giant fruits are born on underwater trees swallowed up by the sea.
In India, for example, ritual bowls were made from shells for washing and asking for donations. In the sacred texts of Tantra, sea coconut is revered as Yoni - a symbol of creation and fertility. The unusual shape of the nut has led to the belief that its dried and ground pulp is a natural aphrodisiac. In the Middle Ages, coco de mer cost a fortune, and was paid for in gold commensurate with the size of the shell.
Given the limited population, the Seychelles symbol is quite expensive. The only official plantation of sea coconut is located in the Valley de Mey, has approximately 4,000 trees and occupies 20 hectares. During the year, only 3,000 nuts are harvested here, as a result, each of them receives a special mark and a serial number. The price of such pleasure starts from $ 300, but sometimes it exceeds this mark several times. You can take a gift from the Seychelles only if you have a special certificate confirming the fact of official purchase.
The shell of coco de mer is used for the manufacture of carved or inlaid products, various decorations and household items.
Since the Seychelles was under French rule for a long time, the genus name of the palm - Lodoicea - is a reference to Lodoicus, that is, Louis the Great, the famous French monarch.
What does coco de mer look like - look at the video:
The sea coconut, also known as the Seychelles nut, is a fruit that is as unusual as it is rare. Not everyone can afford it, but you can admire it completely free of charge - in the Seychelles it is found here and there. Since ancient times, tourists have been intrigued by the unusual shape and size of the nut, as well as the properties attributed to it. Coco de mer can be useful in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, it is considered a real panacea for erection problems, a strong aphrodisiac for both women and men.
No one knows how many and when unknown places on our planet will be discovered. But they certainly exist and keep in great secret rare plants, animals, natural resources, amazing, useful properties, which will someday serve humanity. An example of such a miracle of nature, fanned by numerous legends, is the Seychelles nut.
For a long time, its appearance from the sea depths of the Indian Ocean was considered a real miracle. And only after the discovery of the Seychelles lost in the salty ocean waves, a majestic fan palm, decorated with outlandish fruits, appeared before the eyes of the astonished travelers. The navigators who discovered the islands began to consider this place a real Garden of Eden, and a huge nut growing on the Tree of Knowledge was endowed with magical powers.
Description
The relic species of the fan palm Lodoicea maldivica is found only along the slopes of hills, valleys on the ancient granite islands of Praslin, Curieuse, which are part of the Seychelles group. The endemic of our planet has worthily taken a place in the center of the coat of arms of the Republic, called the Seychelles. Tall tree, leaves of complex shape, reaching a size of three meters.
Huge fruits, considered the largest nuts on earth, listed in the Guinness book. You can see the palm tree while exploring the May Valley (Vallée de May), which is located on the island of Praslin. On the territory of an amazing grove, with an area of 20 hectares, about 4 thousand towers rise. fan palms with nuts protected by the laws of the state. Otherwise they are called coco-de-mer, sea coconut. A palm tree grows, 40 m high, about 800 years old. The period of active fruiting begins at the age of 100.
The first flowering occurs at the age of twenty. The weight of the walnut ranges from 15 to 35 kg. Its diameter can reach one meter. About 70 nuts usually appear on an adult tree. They do not ripen at the same time. It is said that the mature Seychelles nut only falls at night. At the same time, the outer shell, similar to a heart, bursts on its own and its mysterious shape is exposed, resembling the lower part of a female figure. Tourists can stay in the valley for a short time. Collecting nuts during the excursions is prohibited.
The longevity of the fan palm is explained by the unusual fastening of the tree roots. They pass through naturally created tubules in a bowl resembling a strong nest located at the base of a palm tree and shaped like an onion. The roots are not attached to the bowl, but go into the ground. The mechanism of germination of walnut grains is also interesting. After preliminary drying for 10 months, a new sprout is formed in a year and a half. For another four years, the plant feeds on the jelly-like endosperm of the nut. Of course, the process of restoring palm plantations is long and laborious. Each tree, the number of nuts on it are taken into account. The total number of annually ripening fruits is about 3 thousand pieces. Their existing arrays are justifiably called reserved.
The Seychelles nut is known not only for its large size, but also for its original shape, reminiscent of a female pelvis. Humor-loving, friendly locals sometimes use his image on the washrooms. The nut reaches its maximum size within a year, and ripens only after ten years. The outer shell of the nut, 2 cm thick, consists of a very hard material. Inside is a jelly-like mass. It is almost tasteless and odorless. After a few hours of exposure to air, it becomes very hard, outwardly similar to ivory. At the age of five, the mass hardens on its own, acquiring all the properties of an aphrodisiac. But the locals manage to turn it into a favorite delicacy, and treat tourists to a delicious dessert called “forbidden fruit”.
Double-fruited coconut, as the nut is sometimes called, matures on female plants. At the same time, on average, one flower out of three is pollinated. The Seychelles nut differs from the coconut in having two shells, one of which cracks and falls off on its own. The inner shell has a greenish tint and consists of several lobes. Coconut grows on a feathery bisexual palm, and a fan palm with nuts can be of different sexes. On male palms, inflorescences appear, up to a meter long, having the shape of a phallus. On this occasion, one of the legends says that at night male plants meet with female trees. Whoever sees their love meetings, he immediately dies.
Story
Sea storms, waves raging in the Indian Ocean, opened the story of the appearance of an unusual fruit of an outlandish tree. Residents of Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) found these unusual coconuts on their shores, unlike any other fruit growing in their homeland. Together with nuts, legends appeared about a magic palm tree growing at the bottom of the ocean, throwing its fruits ashore. They were credited with numerous magical properties. Even the smallest piece of walnut was highly valued, protected, considered an expensive talisman, a talisman against troubles and diseases. Ordinary people were forbidden to keep a nut. Those who did not report the find had their hands cut off. Its value was greater than the price of gold, the weight of a walnut. Sea pirates, travelers of those times brought it to harems for big money, where, due to its shape, they considered the nut an aphrodisiac. A powder prepared from the brown nutshell was used as an aphrodisiac. There were no scientific studies of the composition in those days. The magical abilities of the nut were supported by the superstitions of magicians, shamans living on the islands of the Indian Ocean. Most often, their magic resembles voodoo, called gris-gris. It was they who discovered the healing properties of the Madagascar periwinkle, used by medicine to treat leukemia in children. Their activity is currently prohibited by the state.
Europeans learned about the existence of the walnut in the Middle Ages. This happened before the Seychelles were discovered. Mother Nature's joke gave people the Seychelles nut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Walnut use
Scientific research has clarified the chemical composition of the nut and its beneficial properties. The internal mass is 85% fat, 5% protein, 7% carbohydrates. One hundred grams of mass contains 345 kcal. The taste of the pulp is slightly sweet. A cocktail, dessert dishes, scrubs are prepared from it according to the recipes of the inhabitants of the Seychelles. You can buy a nut in Singapore, Bombay, Karachi. The average cost is $150 and depends on the size. You can bring a nut only after obtaining a permit, for which you also have to pay. As a souvenir, you can buy an original small product made from a walnut shell. For example, an original box, jewelry, a cup, a nut. Its amazing shape will remind you that mankind still has many unsolved surprises of nature ahead, hidden under the sun of the equator, at the bottom of mighty oceans, among the snowy peaks of mountains. You just have to look for them.
A few more photos and interesting facts:
Mysterious coco de mer - one of the hundred great mysteries of nature
Coco de Mer (Seychelles Nut, Sea Coconut, Maldives Nut)
The most famous endemic of the Seychelles (Seychellen) is the fruit of the Maldivian fan palm (Lodoicea maldivica).
The girth of this "nut" reaches almost a meter, the length is more than half a meter, and the weight is over 25 kilograms. They call it differently: double coconut, sea coconut - Coco de mer (Coco de mer), Maldivian, or Seychellois, nut. However, the fetus is amazing not only in size, but also in shape: its two fused lobes are strikingly reminiscent of naked female buttocks.
Botanists are unanimous that the Seychelles palm tree, which gives birth to giant seeds, is the same magnificent phenomenon in the plant world as the California sequoia, African baobab or Lebanese cedar. However, they do not understand why it is growing so slowly. The first sprout from the seed placed in the ground appears only after a year. During its long life (and this is about 800 years), the tree reaches a height of 30 meters, but gains the first 10 meters only at the age of two hundred years. Fruiting begins at the 25th year of life.
Unlike many other types of palm trees, Lodoycea trees are of different sexes. After pollination, the ovary of the female flower develops into a double drupe covered with a thick green rind. It takes 7 to 10 years for the fruit to fully mature. Fresh nuts are heavier than water; once in the depths of the sea, they drown and lose their ability to germinate, therefore they cannot be settled by sea currents on other continents, like the fruits of the palm tree Cocos nucifera.
In the Middle Ages, news of fabulous giant nuts roamed the vast Indo-Arabian-African spaces, passed from mouth to mouth. People did not immediately establish which plant brings them. Dead nuts, carried by ocean waves over great distances, were found in the coastal zone of the Maldives, on the southwestern coast of India, in Sumatra and Java. Since they were never seen growing on the shore, it was believed that they grow on trees that are swallowed up by the sea (hence the name "sea coconut").
Coco de mer female and male palms
In those days, coco de mer cost a fortune. For each fruit, they gave as much gold as could fit in its shell. And all because the doctors and healers, who tried to deal with the contents of the skillfully hewn gift of nature, unanimously delivered a verdict: it is very useful, it eliminates ailments, like no other medicine, it effectively increases the sexual capabilities of men. It is also widely believed that sea coconut is an indispensable remedy for poisons, colic, paralysis, epilepsy, numerous nervous diseases, intestinal diseases that cause vomiting. In the form of a drug, they began to make water infused on the shell with the addition of almonds, and from the white-pink juice of young nuts - a tonic drink.
In the Maldives, the leaders of the tribes proclaimed in advance all the "coconuts of love" that came here as their own and promised to mercilessly cut off the hands of anyone who dared to hide the find.
Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II of Austria announced at the end of the 16th century that he would give 4,000 gold florins for one nut. The owners of the nut were not seduced by the price and refused him. In the end, Rudolph II managed to acquire a goblet made from the shell of a sea coconut.
In the 17th century, Maldivian nuts came to Russia, but only the tsar could buy them, paying with precious sables. From walnut shells, carvers made bratins, ladles, and aromatics.
In the middle of the 18th century, when the French discovered a protected palm tree on the Seychelles island of Praslin, in the Vallée de Mai or "May Valley", the mystery of the mysterious nuts was solved.
Today, the Lodoicea fan palm plantation in the mentioned valley has about 4,000 trees and covers an area of 20 hectares. Up to 3,000 nuts are said to be harvested here per year (one palm tree yields a maximum of 30). Each fruit is numbered, but it can only be exported if there is a certificate indicating that the nut was purchased from an authorized seller. The price of an exotic product is from 250 to 300 dollars, large specimens are sometimes several times more expensive. Souvenir lockers and caskets are made from a whole walnut. From small parts, local craftsmen make "Praslensky faience" - scoops, bowls, plates, flasks and other rather elegant handicrafts.
Sea coconut as a symbol and talisman in the Seychelles is beyond competition. They are crowned with the monument of independence. The "mother" of the nut - a slender tall palm tree - is placed on the coat of arms of the republic, surrounded by fish, a turtle and a bird.
According to the materials of the sites "Science and Life"
When we only dreamed of the Seychelles, it was enough for us just to get a stamp in the form of a coco-pop in our passport and a couple of days on the beaches. We did not think that our dream would come true so quickly and not for a couple of days, but for ten, and this same coconut-butt would be put in our passport, and they would also give us a real Seychellois coconut to support in our hands.
The most famous plant on the islands is the Seychelles palm tree, which grows the largest nut in the world - coco de mer. This fruit is called sea coconut. It became known even before the discovery of the Seychelles, when huge nuts 10-25 kg were found on the shores of the Indian Ocean far from their habitat. No one saw how they grow on the shore, and the already dead nut was brought in waves, so it was not possible to grow a palm tree on other islands and continents. For this reason, coconut was highly valued in the 16th and 18th centuries. Then they promised him as much gold as would fit in his shell. It is valuable not only because of its size and shape, but also because it is an aphrodisiac (coconut juice) and is used to treat certain diseases.
Tourists call the nut a coco-booty, as it really resembles a woman's buttocks, both in shape and in size. But there is also a male fruit of this palm tree, and we saw it near Villa Manoir. You just won't meet a female coconut. Therefore, the plan for January 8 is the May Valley National Park (Vallée de Mai) on Praline Island.
Breakfast at Uncle Leo's. Fried eggs and toast as for the first time, only other fruits were served - papaya, which tastes like melon with pumpkin. We seem to have arrived late and were the last ones in the dining room. Therefore, after looking around a little, we noticed a Christmas tree in the closed part of the dining room and a menu on the kitchen doors. Maybe try to order something for dinner, the prices seem to be normal. 
Having collected the last money, we go to the bus stop, which is next to the villa. 
Uncle Leo sits on his veranda and sips coffee. Ronnie's son is putting something in the car, going somewhere. Cars with tourists drive past us - they go to the beach of Anse Lazio. The bus is still nowhere to be seen. Therefore, we decided to walk in the direction from where he would go, and eventually went to the Anse Boudin beach. The ocean is calm, not a soul. And we leave the first human footprints in the sand after dogs. 
We again went out onto the road and trampled at the bus stop waiting for the bus. Either we walk fast, or the interval between buses is quite large. Therefore, we went to the Hindu store, where we bought beer. And then Ronnie drives by, stops and offers a ride. But we are not far to go, so we refuse and meet Ronnie already in the store. 
Having bought a beer, we go out to another part of the Anse Boudin beach and wait for the bus for a beer. 
Buses drive around the island quickly. Feels like you're on a roller coaster. Yes, yes, the obstruction of the horizon - the bus rose up :)
In the photo below, the cottages of the Raffles Hotel on Anse Takamaka Beach (the same name of the beach was on the island of Mahe). 
We didn't know which stop to get off at. So we passed well. We also did not stop the bus - there is a lot of time, we are not in a hurry - we drove on. We got out in some village in the Grand Anse area - the opposite side of the island in relation to our villa. We saw the bank - changed the money. A store of computer and household appliances caught my eye - they bought a memory card for the camera, since the place was already running out, and the laptop did not come to life. They wanted to know more about the Internet, but changed their minds. The laptop does not work, it’s good without the Internet, no one pulls, but we communicate with my mother via SMS - why is it needed.
We didn’t have to wait long when the bus drove up in the opposite direction - to the May Valley, and the same one that took us to Mount Zimbabwe was remembered by the New Year’s tinsel on the windshield. Getting on the bus, just in case, I asked to stop near the Valle de Mai. 
The bus stopped near the park at the request of tourists already returning from the valley. Therefore, the driver did not have to be reminded. 
Actually the main entrance to the May Valley is a natural park with an area of 20 hectares, located in the middle of the island among the hills and tropical forests at an altitude of almost 200 meters above sea level. It is noisy inside, children, tourist groups with guides - everything is as it should be according to the tour program. 
Tickets cost 350 rupees per person, or almost $30. 
Trying to avoid tourist groups and not being tied to the routes of the park, we went along the narrow paths to study the local flora and look for the female fruit of the Seychellois palm tree.
On the Central Path. 
Along the way, we came across local fauna. According to the brochure we were given with the tickets, this lizard is called Scinco Delle Seychelles. Only here is the problem - the leaflet is completely in French, although no, even better - in Creole. The same brochure tells us that tenrec, flying foxes and some bird species can be found in the park. 
Again, I open the brochure and look for what Oleg tries to touch. Solid. Yes, this is a jackfruit, only still very small. And it will grow to the size of a melon. The largest fetus was recorded at 36 kg, 90 cm long and 50 cm in diameter. Unusually, it grows on short branches almost immediately out of the trunk. This fruit tastes like a mixture of apple, pineapple and banana. Although he often met in the Seychelles, we did not manage to try him. Here, of course, it would be nice to have the Internet in order to immediately find out what you can eat and whether it is tasty at all. 
It so happened that all tourist groups went along the central and northern alleys, since there are the least ascents and descents. Therefore, we had no choice but to choose a difficult path. Why do we avoid tourists? Yes, because as they crowd around one plant, you won’t get around, and you won’t approach the sights, and you will have to wait a long time for your turn in the photo - yes, well, them. 
And we turned onto a generally little passable, but short route F. More precisely, the letters on the route denoted a group of plants that were nowhere else in the park, except for this path. The translator gave the name "Palm groves and swamps." Somehow it was here that all the wildness of nature was felt and there was a feeling that we were walking in a tropical rainforest, and not in a park. In the distance, a stream gurgles. Birds are singing. And the lizards rustle with dried leaves underfoot. The path is broken and rocky, sometimes washed out by water due to heavy rains. The path goes down all the time, which means you have to go up later. Plants and trees grow chaotically, a bunch of large dry palm leaves on the ground and as soon as you stop, mosquitoes attack you. We reached a dead end (the road ended) and nevertheless ventured to stop near the stream. 
We saw such bizarre trees with roots not underground, but above and as high as human height (roots). The name of this plant is complex - Verschaffeltia splendida - I will not undertake to pronounce it out loud. The species is endangered and is distributed only in the Seychelles. We also met small representatives of this tree, which had long thin spines against insects closer to the ground on the trunk. 
Well, then, already bitten by mosquitoes, we went to a more or less civilized southern path (South Path). Here she was going up all the time. Somewhere there were steps, somewhere not. There were places of rest with information stands and benches. 
Already on this trail, almost every palm tree was Seychellois and each had the fruit of coco de mer. Most often came across just female coconuts - Coco De Mer Femmina. Palm trees sign. Females start with the letter F and a number, for example, F222, and males start with M301. The height of the palm tree is 25-34 meters. It is practically impossible to get close to the palm trees - it is dangerous if a coconut weighing 13-45 kg falls on your head. 
Coco de mer nut shell. By the way, the shells of different coconuts were scattered around the park as if specially for tourists, sometimes even beautifully for setting a photo frame :) Well, the park workers also met among the palm trees. They walked through the thickets and collected fallen coconuts. 
Slightly less common were the male fruits of the Seychelles palm - Coco De Mer Maschio. The inflorescence can reach a length of 1-2 meters. 
Another interesting palm caught my eye - it looks like a lamppost, as its fruits grow around the trunk in the form of light shades or large lamps. It's called Deckenia nobilis. Decenia reaches a height of 40 meters and is the tallest palm tree on the islands. Is under the threat of extinction. One of the six endemic palms of the Seychelles, two of which we have discussed above. 
Well, then, why we went to the National Park, we saw, you can return. At the exit there was a large table with male and female fruits of the Seychellois palm. One of them is in my hands in the photo at the beginning of the note. We managed to take a photo before a group of tourists approached the table, about 20 people, and occupied it for photographing.
At the exit, we have already examined the main building of the park, where there is a shop with expensive souvenirs, a museum with exhibits of different types of coconuts and skeletons of the animal and marine world of the Seychelles, among which there is a skeleton of a palm (coconut) crab, a large turtle and even some horned ones.
There was a cafe conveniently located nearby, where we ordered one tuna sandwich and a banana milk shake. Having tried canned Seychelles tuna the day before, I can say that all tuna sandwiches in cafes and restaurants are made from this canned food.
And everywhere real coco-pops. 
Back on the bus. And again we come across a driver who has New Year's tinsel hanging on his windshield.
The evening is still far away and while there is an opportunity we jump out of the bus in the Cote D "Or area, Anse Volbert beach. We go to the store for a beer and here for the first time we encounter a problem - we are forbidden to enter with backpacks and are asked to leave them in the cells. We have small, urban backpacks (only a netbook and a tablet will fit in there), and besides, we carry all the documents with us. But they found another where this rule was not, and bought beer.
Anse Volbert beach is large but shallow. Fishing boats and yachts are moored, from where fish are periodically taken for a small street fish market. Local kids are learning to stand on a surfboard. And the dogs enjoy the view of the ocean. We acted like dogs :) Mentally here. 
And we swam already on our Anse Boudin beach, opposite which lies Curieuse Island, which is filled with bright colors from the setting sun. If you agree with Leo, you can swim there to see the big turtles or snorkel. And this is the second island where the Seychellois palm grows. 
We had a surprise for dinner. Entering the villa, Ronnie rushed past us, then stopped and asked what we were doing in the evening. We answered that we were going to the store and would spend the evening here on the bench (well, they didn’t say it, but all with gestures and facial expressions with the words shop, beer, here:) To which he replied okay and sped off. What's the trick? O_o
After the shop, while we were loading our mini-fridge in the room with beer, Ronnie came to our table in the yard and put two large dishes with salad and bread, and then brought grilled fish.
Well, not a fig! We didn't order. Ronnie said it was a present.
I have never eaten such delicious grilled fish. Ronnie was very shy and ran away as soon as the food was served. Therefore, we did not succeed in asking him what kind of fish, but Oleg made an assumption that it was sea bass. Quite possible. 
Literally after 20 minutes of photographing and crushing the fish, only a skeleton remained of it. Already when Ronnie came to clean the dishes, we made him write the name of the fish in a notebook. It was a grouper (grouper) - stone perch, a predator devouring small sharks, rays, lobsters and young sea turtles. Large adults reach a length of 250 cm and a weight of 400 kg, but are inedible. But individuals up to 50 kg are considered an expensive delicacy.
The evening passed quietly under the starry sky, to the cries of flying foxes and the chirping and croaking sounds of geckos. Another day has passed in the Seychelles and you can put a tick on the next plan. There is only one attraction left - Anse Georgette beach, but that's already tomorrow. 
A palm tree is depicted - endemic to the planet. The botanical name for the tree that produces the largest nuts is Lodoicea maldivica. Another, more popular, name of the plant is the Seychellois palm. Only on 2 islands of the Seychelles (Praslin and Curiosity) can you see tall trees with fan leaves with a span of 3 meters or even more.
Peculiarities
Palm trees are of different sexes: there are female and male trees. When pollen from a male individual falls on the flowers of a female plant, fruits begin to develop, which take 7-10 years to fully ripen. Palm trees grow very slowly. Only it takes six months to soften the shell. A sprout will appear from the ground in a year. After 7-8 years, you can determine who it is - a "boy" or a "girl". At the age of 18, the female palm begins to bloom and the first fruits are tied on it. If there is no male specimen nearby, then the natives solemnly pollinate the plant, cutting off the pistil and bringing it to the opened flowers. For 2 hundred years, palm trees reach a height of 10 meters. Those that stretched out to 30 meters are "a little older" - they are about 8 centuries old. On adult palms, there are up to 70 nuts, but they do not ripen at the same time, but gradually. As they say, the ripe nut of the Seychelles palm tree falls at night, breaking off on its own from the tree. But the guards guarding the palm plantations wear helmets during the day. Although such a precaution is unlikely to save them. The Seychelles nut, whose photo is posted here, does not have the powerful dimensions that individual specimens achieve. Up to 25 kg - these are the giants, champions among seeds!
What is inside?
Very hard and thick. The composition of the intrafetal pulp is 85% fat, proteins - 5%, carbohydrates - 7%. Energy nutritional value - 345 kcal per 100 grams. You can’t really praise the Seychelles nut for its taste: slightly sweetish. In addition, the internal contents very quickly acquire the hardness of ivory and the same color. But there may be disagreements here - there are still no comrades for taste and color. If you happen to visit the Seychelles - try the pulp cocktail, this is an exquisite drink offered in restaurants.
legends of antiquity
The Seychelles walnut was insanely highly valued in the Middle Ages. In those days of the first acquaintance with the royal nut (aka sea coconut - coco de mer, double coconut, love nut, Maldivian nut), people endowed it with magical properties - to bring health, wealth, love to the owner: in a word - happiness.
Until the Seychelles was settled by the French, and this happened in the 18th century, no one knew where the sea coconut grows. Nuts nailed and therefore assumed that they ripen in the depths of the sea. It was not possible to grow something from a nut in another area. During the wanderings in the depths of the ocean (fresh fruits are heavier than sea water and can only move in the depths under the force of currents), the core rotted, the nut became light and floated to the surface, getting to the coast of the Maldives, then to These were isolated cases. The surviving shell was equal to the volume of gold. The nut was exchanged for metal by weight or the cavity was filled with coins and jewelry. It is clear that only the rulers of the world could afford such operations. Ordinary people who dared to hide a nut were mercilessly chopped off their hands - for the first time, and for the next offense they were deprived of their lives.
nature is joking
The Seychelles nut ripening on a palm tree in a shell resembles a heart. Ripe fruits fall to the ground, the shell bursts on them and is removed. The nut is transformed beyond recognition - instead of the heart, the lower part of the woman's body appears. It turns out that the Seychelles nut in the shell has the most erotic look. Do not lag behind in playful hints and male trees - take a look at the photo. Seychellois are cheerful people. Here, on the toilet stalls, instead of silhouettes (common designations), you can see images of a nut and pestle of a Seychellois palm tree. It is clear: you go there, and I - here.
Reality
And now the Seychelles nut is a very expensive pleasure, from 150 euros for a small copy. It can be taken out of the islands only with permission. Each palm tree is registered, and on it - each nut is numbered, it has a passport. On the island of Praslin there are plantations of Seychelles palm trees, from which up to 4 thousand pieces of ripe nuts are harvested annually.
Making a miracle
With the hands of masters and their aspirations, you can buy a marvel based on the Seychellois walnut. The photo of the exclusive box is a confirmation of this. The locals deeply appreciate the gifts of nature. They give a second life to each piece of shell, making useful things out of it - souvenirs, cups, decorations. It's great if such a nut just lies in plain sight in the apartment. What pleasant memories of the earthly paradise, whose temporary visitor I was lucky enough to be, it will evoke with its presence! It is possible that he acquired the magical properties of the talisman, ripening under the equatorial sun.