What are the edible palms?

[insipidtoast]

I know lots of palms are technically edible, but who wants to bother with something like Syagrus romanzoffiana?

So, let's list all the ones that provide a decent amount of food:

Phoenix dactylifera - The Date Palm - Probably the most marketable food palm that can be grown in North America.

Hyphaene thebaica - The gingerbread palm - Provides lots of food for people in Africa.

Cocos nucifera - Coconut Palm

Butia capitata - Jelly Bean Palm - Fruit quality varies from tree to tree, but I've found some tasty ones.

Brahea edulis - Guadalupe fan palm - I've never tried it, but have heard the fruit is similar to a date.

Brahea dulcis - ? - I've never tried it.

Parajubaea sp. - Various Names - Probably the most commercial potential out of any palm that can be grown in California. Lost Crops of the Andes says this about P. coccoides: "It bears long clusters of 30-50 edible fruits that look like little coconuts, with three eyes and hard, thick shells. All these "minicoconuts" - which are smaller than a golfball - mature at about the same time, and fall off when ripe. They are then broken open and eaten raw. The kernel is the size of a macadamia nut. Its fleshy mesocarp is sweet and contains useable oil. These nuts are so popular - especially with children - that you can hardly find one unless you look early in the morning.

? - Acai - One of the "superfoods"

Am I leaving anything out?

[amazondk]

Bactris gasipaes

Oneocarpus batua

Oneocarpus bacaba

Attalea phalerata

Attalea speciosa

Syagrus coronata

All of the Euterpes - either for fruit or palm hearts.

Just a few of the local palms for food around here.

dk

[Erik]

For completeness sake, we should add the palms that provide cooking oils.

Besides Cocos, that would be Elaeis guineensis and Attelea spp., right? Are there others?

[edric]

Also Dypsis prestoniana (Tavilo palm), Sabal palmetto (Cabbage palm), Ed

[amazondk]

The Oenocarpus batua produces an oil almost identical to olive oil. In fact during WWII it was extensively haversted fo produce oil and sold to the USA as an olive oil substitute.

dk

[Palmateer]

You know you are in trouble if your visitor drools while you are showing him your palm collection!

Edited December 31, 2010 by Palmateer

[Patricia-CR]

Though already mentioned, here we use the Bactris gasipaes fruit, cooked, 'pejibayes' with mayo, OMG . Plus from the same palm, we get the 'heart of palm' for a lot of dishes.

Chamaedorea costarricana, again the heart of the palm is extracted as a delicatessen.

[amazondk]

Patricia,

The Bactris gasipaes, known here as pupunha is a favoite for breakfast. But, I have never seen them eaten with mayo. But, it sound like a good option.

dk

[Patricia-CR]

dk, I think they are good in any way. But here, the most common and delicious way is eating them as a finger food in halves and with mayonnaise after being well cooked with spiced salt, a piece of molasses, and sometimes a piece of pork in the boiling water (for flavor, they say). Give them a try! How do you eat them? Do you also eat the heart of the palm? It's another treat in different dishes, right?

Check 'em out:

http://www.costaricaexplorerguide.com/php/editorial.php?idm=1&editorial=136&dfpanel=0&menu=3 3rd slide

http://www.cupotico.com/info/General/Pejibaye_a_Palm_Fruit.html

[Rafael]

Jubaea Chilensis, wine to celebrate 2011

[carver]

Surprisingly washingtonia is edible, but it must take thousands to fill any appetite.

[Wai`anae Steve]

How about brewing some alcohol from Syagrus fruit?

[DoomsDave]

Surprisingly washingtonia is edible, but it must take thousands to fill any appetite.

Well, one big washie heart makes great kimchi (kimchee) for a whole herd of hungry people . . . .

(With strong stomachs! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: )

[sarasota alex]

Metroxylon sagu

[sarasota alex]

How about brewing some alcohol from Syagrus fruit?

I once left some Syagrus fruit soaking in a bucket of water in a hot garage for days. Some serious fermentation happened there. Turned out those seeds have more than enough sugar to start things out. Poured it all down the drain out of respect for the law.

[Takil-Explorer]

Well most palms have edible hearts. And Arenga pinnata produces sugar and wine. And Salacca produces edible fruits.

Alexander

[amazondk]

dk, I think they are good in any way. But here, the most common and delicious way is eating them as a finger food in halves and with mayonnaise after being well cooked with spiced salt, a piece of molasses, and sometimes a piece of pork in the boiling water (for flavor, they say). Give them a try! How do you eat them? Do you also eat the heart of the palm? It's another treat in different dishes, right?

Check 'em out:

http://www.costarica...fpanel=0&menu=3 3rd slide

http://www.cupotico....Palm_Fruit.html

Thanks for the information. Here the common form of cooking them is boiling with salt in the water. I will take your suggestion it sounds good. The hearts of this palm have a certain market, although no where near Euterpe.

dk

[Wai`anae Steve]

How about brewing some alcohol from Syagrus fruit?

I once left some Syagrus fruit soaking in a bucket of water in a hot garage for days. Some serious fermentation happened there. Turned out those seeds have more than enough sugar to start things out. Poured it all down the drain out of respect for the law.

And perhaps the lack of a still also :-)

[Darold Petty]

Pacaya, the immature male spadix of Chamaedorea tepejilote, is served raw or more often cooked with other dishes, such as eggs, throughout Guatemala. (from Chamaedorea Palms, Hodel, page 280.)

[Xenon]

Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but what about Areca catechu? Nypa fruticans is also edible.

Jonathan

[Alberto]

Butia eriospatha. Maybe the best butia fruit.....?

[Kumar]

Its a humbling experience when so many people mention spiny bactris but not areca. In my place areca is second only to coconut in cultivation. Without the areca nut (and the betel) there would be no post lunch paan for many many irritable people.

Borassus fruit is quite popular-and cheap. I know that borassus heart is eaten but never done so myyself.

Also, borassus and sylvestris sap is used to prepare palm 'misri' or sugar - I've had this and it is addictive. For those more adventurous the same sap is made into 'toddy' - a local alcoholic concoction that I am told can fell the mightiest of men.

[Palmy]

Coconuts? You palm eating carnivores!

So politically correct.

Lotta yummy thai food uses coconut milk, yum.

[Moose]

Roystonea hearts are edible. Saw them for sale at the farmers market during the Dominican Republic Biennel in 2006.

If you really don't like the person, you could suggest them to dine on some Orania palindan hearts.

Very poisonous.

[Al in Kona]

Attalea guacayule (Orbignya guacayule), the small coconut-like fruit, called Coquitos in Mexico, is sold piled high in bins or trays in public markets as a food item.

[amazondk]

Its a humbling experience when so many people mention spiny bactris but not areca. In my place areca is second only to coconut in cultivation. Without the areca nut (and the betel) there would be no post lunch paan for many many irritable people.

Borassus fruit is quite popular-and cheap. I know that borassus heart is eaten but never done so myyself.

Also, borassus and sylvestris sap is used to prepare palm 'misri' or sugar - I've had this and it is addictive. For those more adventurous the same sap is made into 'toddy' - a local alcoholic concoction that I am told can fell the mightiest of men.

Actually there are bactris gasipaes with no spines. These are a lot easier to handle.

dk