I'm going Coco Nuts
Cocofest 2017 was nothing short of spectacular! A day dedicated to celebrate, showcase and enjoy the tree of life, or simply the coconut. I heard about it last year and how great of an event it was and promised I wouldn’t miss it this year! Where do I even begin; Nyamaste’s Coconut Shrimp Fritters, the Coconut Ceviche from Vivo or the ultimate favourite the fried fish and fritters from Pauline’s Kitchen! Oh my days!
For the second year running, Coco Fest was held at Pedro, one of the most beautiful and iconic places on island. In essence, the appeal for Coco Fest is to place the use of the coconut on display for the island’s residents and visitors to enjoy. I’m gobbed smacked about the different components in which the coconut can be used for! The event was extremely well attended, with numerous vendors of food stalls, games for the children, bouncy castle, musicians, allow with educational aspects.
Growing up, it wasn’t a staple in my diet but it was there; not as frequent as other people that I know. Over the past few years, I have started to incorporate coconut oil and milk into my diet. I remember cooking at university in England and making curry shrimp with coconut milk from Thailand, and the richness, depth and complexity that the curry shrimp had was astonishing.
Coconut Ceviche from one of our favourites on island - Vivo
Apart for the phenomenal food that was on display for reasonable prices; my favourite element of Coco Fest was being able to watch ‘Bright Spot’. Bright spot is a locally inspired filmed documentary about the history, demise and reintroduction of coconut oil in local’s diets. I unfortunately was unable to attend the premiere last year. This was definitely the highlight of my day minus all of the amazing food. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend that you find 22 minutes out of your busy day to watch it. It is quite moving.
By having to get my other half to work, it was a short but very meaningful visit to Coco Fest. Nonetheless, I cannot wait until 2018 and to see what other elements can be done with the coconut!
