Manila Series 102 : "Buko"

Who is gagging for some of chilled, young and fresh coconut water?

Away from the Philippines and the very first and last time I bought a piece in China Town, that fulfillment I felt of buying it slowly disappeared upon tasting the coconut water. I mean, the satisfaction of finally holding it in my hands, suddenly changing to disappointment after one taste was really EPIC. 

The longing to have the same taste I usually get when am home in the Philippines, I guess the expectation was too much? I mean, where do the coconuts in China Town come from? Definitely not from Thailand, the coconuts there are sweet.

2 ways to buy them

One, any passerby can easily buy a cup or most times, the vendor put it in a small ice plastic bag to be drank with a straw. Once done, the customer can go on its' way.

Second, if you live nearby, just bring your own jug or the vendor will use a couple of those small plastic bags depending on how many pieces of young coconuts you want.

Using a big knife or "itak or bolo" to remove its' young husks.

When buying, the vendor usually will ask on what they are for. With this, it means, for drinking only, the coconut meat will be eaten as is or for BUKO SALAD.

With this it gets interesting. 

Using the dull part of the big knife, the vendor decides according to the sound it produces. If high pitch, mostly the inside is coconut water. The duller the sound, the more mature and thicker is the meat...usually if you want to make buko salad, these are what you will get.

Ready to drink!

If you prefer to drink it, just mention to the vendor that's how you like it. I don't usually have any problems when buying some. I recommend buying with the meat that's still thin. Combined with the water, it's very delicious when chilled.

Ready to eat, see how thin the meat is?

Just the way I like it. How would you like yours?

Keep in mind that these get sold very easily, so by afternoon there's not much pushcarts selling them along the streets or at the wet market. Buy them early to not be disappointed.

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All images are mine, taken with my Samsung Galaxy S7.