Tumbong ng niyog is also Coconut pearl or apple. It is a sweet and spongy mass (cotyledon) that dissolves and absorbs the endosperm.

I frequently go to my father’s small farm to search for young coconuts with shoot. I am only interested in tumbong, it is spongy and taste sweet. I prefer the small tumbong. As the coconut shoot grows, the cotyledon becomes bigger and absorbs the liquid endosperm. Bigger cotyledon taste less sweet and watery and is often rancid.

A variety of products can be made out of this tumbong. Processing can add revenue to copra manufacturers. I gonna experiment on some coconut apple recipes in the future.