Coconut is the most commonly utilized item in Indian kitchens. Starting from coconut oil, with which we cook and imbue richness, to grated coconut, or refreshing coconut water, the versatility of coconuts, in the fresh as well as in the dried form, renders them a favourite throughout the country. Do you ever ponder from where this wonder fruit came? While we use coconuts in countless ways, the arrival of coconuts to India tells a more intricate and fascinating story. As shared by Krish Ashok, a cookbook author, "the journey of the coconut to India is a story of an extraordinary and even unbelievable proportions". Most ingredients have been traded and cultivated by human beings, except the coconut that has an advantage-it can travel on its own. So, let's dive into the story of how the coconut became such an important part of Indian life.
Cookbook writer Krish Ashok recently shared the history of the coconut on Instagram. Most foods entered new lands through trade or cultivation-that's how potatoes or chillies entered India. "The coconut has a very much more interesting story.". "Historians had assumed that the Austronesian people living in the Pacific Islands in Southeast Asia introduced coconuts to other parts of the world," Ashok shared. However, modern genetic research reveals something even more remarkable—the coconut did not need human intervention to spread. It has a unique ability to travel on its own!
Ashok continues, "You can see this almost every day with any Indian. "Have you noticed how when you go to a coconut seller, they ask if you want one with lots of water or more coconut flesh?" Such an utterly mundane question belies this incredible fact about coconuts' history, research into genetics suggests coconuts were initially invented in Southeast Asia; its entry into India took on two different routes.
How It Arrived
Historians long believed that Austronesians-the early settlers of the islands in Southeast Asia- were the first to introduce coconuts to other regions. For them, coconuts were a necessity in life. They ate the flesh, drank and fermented the water, built boats with the wood, thatched roofs with the leaves, and used the husks as fuel. Naturally, as they travelled and traded with other lands, they spread the coconut far and wide. The time when Austronesians are believed to have introduced coconuts to India is approximately 2,500 years ago. Actually, linguistic evidence also supports this. In Sanskrit, coconut is referred to as “Narikela”. It is thought to have been derived from the word ‘Niyor Kolai’ from the Polynesian language meaning 'coconut'.
However, genetic studies claim that it does not end there. The coconuts introduced during this time in Africa and Arabia all hail from South India. So how did that happen? The updated theory is that coconuts had already made their way to India long before human traders arrived. Thanks to the coconut's unique superpower, it could float on water for long periods. Coconuts naturally fell into the sea, floated across oceans, and began growing on new shores when they detected dry land. This process probably brought the fleshy, oil-rich coconuts to South India before the watery variety introduced by Southeast Asian traders arrived. The distinction is also mirrored in the Dravidian languages, where the word ‘Thenga’, meaning 'fruit from the South', is used for coconut.
Next time you crack open a coconut or drink its water, remember this amazing journey. The role of humans in spreading this wonder fruit is undeniable; however, the ability of the coconut to travel on its own sets it apart from many other plants. That's why it became a darling of Indian culture, cuisine, and everyday life.