KELAPA BAKAR FOR MEDICINAL REASONS

The hollowed out creamy coconut flesh
With stall owner and her daughter

Her daughter helps her mum during the weekend
A big tent for drivers to stop

The next door stall sells giant kites

Cheers to good health

Let me serve you with my special toasted coconut

We finished the drink to the last drop

See the flesh sitting nicely and loosely inside the shell

Shaving the burnt husk white before serving

Entrepreneurial spirit to earn a living

The young coconuts before being roasted

Coconuts roasted on open fire

Stoking the fire and turning the nuts periodically

An overturned lorry that snailed the traffic

You would not miss the sign along the road

KELAPA MUDA BAKAR

ROASTED YOUNG COCONUT

The long drive to Kota Tinggi was slow on that wet evening. There was a massive traffic jam ahead and the siren and wailing of two ambulances did not add any optimism to our drive.

I told my hubby to make a U-turn and skip Kota Tinggi this time round. There would always be another occasion to visit this historical town of Johor Bahru. The U-turn was made and we passed by an overturned lorry that had caused traffic to snail.

We needed to stop by for a hot drink somewhere. I remember the kapok pillow stall along the road which also mans a drink stall and suggested that we stop there for a quick bite. A quick tour revealed no teh tarik or nescafe ice to wet the throat or banana fritters for teatime. Instead, a sign board shouting "Toasted Young Coconut" stared in front of us.

Since the traffic was still at a standstill, we ordered two toasted coconut or kelapa muda bakar to kill time. A couple next to our table was scooping the coconut flesh and sipping the brownish juice. I wondered why the juice was brown in colour. It was time for Azizah Christie to whip her notebook and do some investigative work. I asked the stall owner how the coconut was prepared and the benefits of drinking the coconut juice.

The young coconuts are roasted over fire fuelled with wood and branches for an hour. They have to be turned over periodically otherwise the shell would crack and the juice leak. Once they are evenly roasted, the coconut is removed from the fire and its burnt husk shaved off with a parang. A hole is made at the top part of the shell. This would enable the drinker to scoop the flesh. A rightly roasted coconut would have its flesh lightly cling to its shell and pop out from the husk.

The coconut juice is poured into a cup and mixed with palm sugar which has been boiled with lemon grass and ginger. It is believed that drinking this concoction can help to alleviate diabetes, high blood pressure, tuberculosis, gall stones, asthma and improve blood circulation. I guess with palm sugar added to the juice, diabetic patient and high cholesterol patient must drink in moderation. You can opt for your juice to be mixed with ice or drink it hot.

We grabbed our chairs and started to dig into the flesh. Its creamily soft and very supple to contour with our spoon. The juice is tangy but sweet and has a strong fragrance of lemon grass and ginger. I opted for a hot juice and did not regret it for the liquid flowed down my throat like a cleaning agent, flushing my phlegm and soothing the soreness at my vocal chord.

We parted with RM8 for two coconuts and a smiling vendor. I suggested to the stall owner to have a masseuse operate nearby to complete the roadside clinic.

Cheers to good health!