Before the discovery of the Seychelles, coco de mer nuts flowed to the shores of the Maldives, where they were believed to be the fruit of a mysterious undersea palm.
In the heart of Praslin, the Seychelles’ second largest island, is the Valli de Mai Nature Reserve, the world’s smallest UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the best place to see the prized Coco de Mer, the largest and largest in the world. Heavy walnut. , Known as the Potential Garden of Eden by Charles Gordon, a British Army officer who visited the area in 1881, the park is home to several endemic species, the most notable of which is the love nut.
Green heart-shaped, removal of the outer husk reveals a two-legged nut that looks like a buttocks on one side and a vulva on the other. No wonder the walnut has always attracted much attention from early explorers to botanists, and today faces the threat of extinction due to its alleged aphrodisiac properties.
just everywhere
Recently, my family and I went to learn more about the nut that followed us everywhere—from the entry stamps on our passports to the names of our hotels, to paper napkin signs in restaurants, the nut was ubiquitous. .
Even on an island like Praslin, which has dense trees, the flora of the Vallée de Mai feels different. Trees such as Takamaka, Cinnamon, Coconut and Mango, which are abundant in the rest of the island, are missing here. Except for winding mud paths and few signs, 19.5 hectares of primitive forest remains intact. It’s easy to imagine going back in time among tall trees, some 80 to 100 feet tall and with leaves so large and wide that barely any sunlight reaches the ground. The amazement and amazement that Gordon experienced during his exploration of the forest is evident. Influenced by Coco de Mer, Gordon sent a specimen to Kew Gardens, London, along with a detailed illustrated letter that highlighted the tree’s interesting features. According to Christie’s web page containing its manuscripts, he states that it is a ‘curious tree in every way, unique among its kind and trees’, with a nut ‘like a belly with thighs’.
large triangular leaves
The easiest way to identify coco de mer from other palms is to look for its large triangular leaves that can grow up to 30 feet in length. It is a dioecious tree, meaning there are separate female and male trees, and it takes 25 to 50 years for the tree to reach maturity. Male trees are distinguished by their two to three feet long catkins that are strikingly similar to a penis. There are legends that male trees move to female trees on stormy nights, but it is more likely that many endemic forest creatures such as geckos and slugs aid in pollination.
‘Mysterious palm’
Before the discovery of the Seychelles, coco de mer nuts flowed to the shores of the Maldives, where they were believed to be the fruit of a mysterious undersea palm. Today, there is little chance that a nut will float away. There are strict government regulations and walnut trees are carefully monitored and protected. The fallen nuts are collected by the Ministry of the Environment, hollowed out, polished and, with a permit, sold as souvenirs for a handsome price.
Efforts are being made to spread the tree beyond the Praslin and Curias islands where they occur naturally. While the results of these initiatives are yet to be seen, there is no doubt that Coco de Mer is a determined nut who loves the land it comes from. There is an untold magic at play that ensures these trees to thrive and develop in these patches of untouched forests and nowhere else like they have for thousands of years. Who knows, maybe some divine hand is involved in making love nuts.
The freelance writer based in Dubai writes about travel, culture and food.
,