Coconut Sugar, Coconut Oil and More of the Colorful Paintings Created Under the Sea in Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia

Coconut Sugar, Coconut Oil and More of the Colorful Paintings Created Under the Sea in Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia

Northern Sulawesi is called “The Land of Coconuts.”
The symbol of the region that is used on their flag is a single coconut tree.

Coconuts are used in cooking and in all sorts of delicious desserts, but the most common use and the biggest production is for coconut oil and brown coconut sugar.

Brown coconut sugar is extracted and then hardened inside the empty shells of coconuts.
The sugar hardens into a rock, with a caramel Jaggery flavor that is very tasty.

Locally this brown coconut sugar is called “Gulamera,” which means “Red Sugar,” or “Gulabatu,” which means “A Sugar Stone.”

Coconuts are a symbol of status in this area.
In the old days, when a boy came to ask the parents of his girlfriend for her hand in marriage, he was asked how many coconut trees he owned.
If he had lots of empty land, houses or any other kind of wealth, it was considered transitory, and did not matter.
Coconut trees, which produce many kilos of precious coconuts every year, are considered a safe investment and a measure of real wealth.

Coconuts are treated with respect, love and care, as you would care for a human child.
It is believed that a coconut tree has a similar spirit to that of a human being.
This is because a coconut tree matures at around 13 years of age and stops producing coconuts at around 65 years of age.

The production of coconut oil and its distribution provides work to many families in the region.

As you can clearly see, money DOES grow on trees….

From the land of coconuts,
Wishing you all the best,
Tali