SC - Coconuts in Period

[Daniel Phelps]

The first "Western mention I know of the coconut was in 545 A.D. by Cosmos
Indicopleustes, an Egyptian monk who visited western India and Ceylon.  In
his Topographia Christians, he describes it as the "great nut of India."
Marco Polo in 1280 described it growing in Sumatra, and Madras and Malabar
in India, calling it nux indica, the Indian nut.  The first detailed Western
description of the coconut palm was provided by the Italian explorer
Lodovico di Varthema in his Itinerario in 1510, where he referred to it as
tenga.  The name cocos is believed to be derived from the Spanish word
"coco" meaning "monkey face."  This was derived by the Spanish and
Portuguese explorers imagining that the inner nut's three spots looked like
a monkey face.

I've seen pictures of 16th century footed goblets the bowl of which was a
polished coconut.  For further information on this and other nuts check out
"The Book of Edible Nuts" by Fredrick Rosengarten, Jr.  I have a signed
copy, it's a great book.

Daniel Raoul
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