I thought I saw on Iron Chef that both chocolate and coconuts were being used as the special item of the day, but I don't think they come from the same plant. Are the plants related at all?
2007-02-27 00:20:49 · 6 answers · asked by Christine H 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Botany
ABOUT COCONUT-
The Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the Family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4-6 m long, pinnae 60-90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth.
The term coconut refers to the fruit of the coconut palm. The seed is inside and it is not RARE! In fact it is regularly eaten, and called copra.
The coconut palm is grown throughout the tropical world, for decoration as well as for its many culinary and non-culinary uses; virtually every part of the coconut palm has some human use.
Kindly click on the blue links below to see coconut fruit/seed and coconut tree.
1) http://www.genwax.com/candle_style_scents/coconut.jpg
2) http://images.google.co.in/images?q=+coconut+tree&btnG=Search&svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2
3) http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/coconut.gif
4) http://images.google.co.in/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=+coconut+fruit&btnG=Search
ABOUT CACAO--
Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is a small (4–8 m tall) evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae (alternatively Malvaceae), native to tropical Mexico, but now cultivated throughout the tropics.
Its seeds are used to make cocoa and chocolate.
Kindly click on the links below to see photos-
1) http://images.google.co.in/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Cacao+tree&btnG=Search
2) http://images.google.co.in/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Cacao++fruit&btnG=Search
Chocolate and coconut are routinely used together for many sweet dishes.
2007-02-27 01:07:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Coconut is a monocot, cocoa is an eudicot (dicot). The only ancestor they have in common is the first fruit bearing plant.
Coconuts are fruits with an integrated seed, whereas cocoa is a fruit bearing up to 20 seeds inside.
Coconut tastes delicious, cocoa tastes like %%&/3 (before becoming chocolate, that is).
From coconut you eat the endosperm (the reserve for the seedling) and from cocoa you eat a slimy thing that covers the seed or bean (or at least, that's where the taste comes from).
Coconuts grow well in places with lots of sun and stand a wide range of temperatures, salinity (they grow on the beach) floodings and drought, whereas cocoa needs shadow, nice temperatures (not cold, not too hot) and a lot of water in a well aereated soil woth lots of nutrients.
Of course, coconut is extremely cheap, cocoa is...well it doesn't cost what it's worth, but it is sensibly pricier
They both grow in the same areas of the world, so maybe that's what they meant by "related": Exotic fruits from underdeveloped tropical countries, like mine
2007-02-27 02:34:27 · answer #2 · answered by carlospvog 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, they are not at all related. They come from two separate genus of plant. Cocos are from the family Family Arecaceae and Cocoa is from the family Sterculiaceae Theobroma Cacao. If you were to look at both plants and the fruit they produce it would make sense.
2007-02-27 00:26:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No way! No way!
They belong to different Class of plants and the size also shows. Coconut seeds are extremely rare (I saw that! I saw that!) whereas cacao seeds are common. They may be coconut flavoured chocolates.
2007-02-27 00:28:37 · answer #4 · answered by Shreyan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
Both come from leaf-bearing plants. That is all.
2007-02-27 02:07:31 · answer #5 · answered by Jerry P 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are not even closely related
2007-02-27 00:24:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋