Is it a by-product of the Coco de Mer kernel exported by Seychelles, or is it just a name picked because of its appeal? The Coco de Mer kernel being exported today is resold rightly or wrongly for a number of exceptional medicinal values and can be purchased in powder form, in flakes or in essence and the profit from value added works is being earned by someone else from somewhere else.
A unique product of the Seychelles that should have numbered products accompanied by a “Made in Seychelles” label because of its limited quantity, is sadly today the property of everyone. Yet is has been shown that much can be done using that dried kernel of the Coco de Mer and the Island of Praslin and the Praslinois should be the custodians of many an authentic product of their island by their island. Seychelles is a tourism dependent country and missing out on the opportunity of having its Brand Name “Seychelles” on a product that would be sought after in main tourism source markets right around the world.
Aphrodisiac is today the main source of use for the Coco de Mer, now we see a cough mixture. But at the Praslin Culinary & Arts Fiesta Ice Cream, mousse, flan, parfait and bread were also made and it was appreciated by everyone. It is also known that a unique biscuit could be manufactured from the powder made from the kernel.
In 2014 the Seychelles News Agency reported that finally “A taste of the forbidden fruit – Seychelles coco de mer at the centre of Praslin’s first culinary and arts fiesta” saying that for the first time in Seychelles, the kernel of the coco de mer, the largest nut in the world was the one of the main highlight of a ‘culinary and arts fiesta’ on the archipelago’s second most populated island of Praslin.
The event which took place during the weekend from September 5 to 7, is an initiative of the archipelago’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture in collaboration with other partners including the island’s district authorities. Endemic to the Indian Ocean archipelago, apart from Praslin the only other Seychelles island where the coco de mer grows naturally is neighbouring Curieuse, off Praslin’s north western coast.
A unique product of Seychelles
Richard Mathiot, the Principal Lecturer at the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) who has also been helping the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to spearhead the event, along with other colleagues from the STA explained that they have worked to process the kernel several times using different techniques and have it transformed into an ingredient that can be used in recipes.
Ice Cream, mousse, flan, parfait and bread are some of the delicacies prepared using the coco de mer as one of the main ingredients that were on sale for as low as $0.40 to $0.80. The event held at the Berjaya Praslin Beach Hotel at Cote D’Or, Praslin attracted Seychellois residents and visitors alike who were eager to savour the taste of the forbidden nut”.
Source: Alain St. Ange
