C is for Coconuts

(Update 5/8/16: This post is being updated w/ different photos. Under construction.)

What would Hawaii be without coconuts and the allure of coconut fantasies? I’m talking about coconut bras and grass skirts, clichés which everyone associates with Hawaii, but which no one here wears outside of a hula show or costume party. The coconut is an icon of Hawaii, plus for some residents, a food staple. 

Coconut fantasy #1: The coconut bra. (Reality, probably uncomfortable to wear, and probably falls off a lot, which might be good in certain situations. ;)

Coconut fantasy 2: Drinking out of a fresh coconut on the beach, while
being lulled by coconut fronds swaying in the wind. Yum!

Coconut fantasy 3: A white sandy beach with coconut trees, which has inspired the famous song. 


Coconut fantasy 4: The grass skirt and "the little grass shack"

These are iconic images of Hawaii, and the basis of another classic song. 

Coconut reality check #1: You can buy coconut bras at the ABC store, a souvenir chain store, but I dare you to wear them in public without a stiff drink, or to wear them on your blog!

Photo courtesy of writer Mark Koopmans from Oahu, who lost a bet and had to wear a coconut bra and grass skirt. Mahalo for the pic!

Coconut reality check #2: It's illegal to buy coconut drinks ON the beach, since buying and selling ON beaches in Hawaii, is illegal. 

But, you can buy a fresh coconut NEAR a beach and drink out of it with a straw. This includes hotels (practically on the beach anyhow) and roadside stands. If you’re at a place like Maui Tropical Plantation or at a lu'au, you can even watch someone shimmy up a coconut tree, pick a coconut and crack it in front of your eyes. And, you can buy a drinking coconut at the Maui Swap Meet or several farmers markets. 

Coconut and pineapple stand on the way to the beaches of Makena. 

Coconut reality check #3: Not all Hawaii beaches have palm trees! Also, some fantastic beaches in the Caribbean, Mexico, etc. also have palm trees. Hawaii does not have a monopoly on coconut trees, although we'd like to! 

By the way, opening a coconut is a LOT harder than it looks. If it's a young coconut, it's easier, but mature coconuts are TOUGH. Those folks at lu'aus or road side stands make opening coconuts look so darn easy. 

Coconut reality check #4: Nope, no one wears grass skirts except hula dancers and tourists. No one lives in grass shacks anymore. It's becoming a lost art, the making of a grass shack with a thatched roof. But I did meet someone who had a local craftsman make a thatched coconut roof for her roadside stand and she says it's held up amazingly well to the weather. So if they are made properly and maintained, they can last for years.

So much to say about coconuts! 

There is coconut candy and coconut oil for sun-tanning. And firm coconut pudding called ha’upia, which is often served at luaus or Hawaiian restaurants.  The Upcountry Farmers Market even sells coconut kefir, a cultured healthy drink made with coconut water.

I won’t go into ALL the details of coconuts, but they are definitely a part of life on Maui. I never ate a lot of coconuts when I lived on Oahu, but if you hang out on Maui long enough, you’ll probably learn how to break open coconuts and make them a part of your diet. 

P.S. If you are blog hopping from the A to Z challenge, please include your link if you comment!