On the occasion of World Coconut Day, V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) hosted their ongoing series ‘Culinary Conversations’ with David Lobo (DL), Chairman of Deejay Group as the main speaker. The event was hosted online and gave students of the premier hospitality institute a chance to interact with a man who has been in the industry for nearly four decades.

David started his long-lasting love affair with coconuts after a United Nations expert, Prof. Anthony Davis conducted extensive coconut breeding programs in Asia and eventually convinced David to get into coconut breeding. In 1983, Deejay Coconut Farm Pvt. Ltd. was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu on a 200-acre plot and the result was the Deejay Sampoorna Hybrid, a high yielding and much sought after breed of coconut tree.

Brimming with passion David enthralled the audience with his vast ocean of knowledge about coconuts. He spoke of the use of coconut in the nutraceutical and cosmetic industry apart from its more known presence in the dairy and edible oil industry.

The students of VMSIIHE then got the opportunity to interact with David. Here are a few excerpts from their conversation.

 Which time of year yields the most harvest?

-Aahan Mathew Jacob

DL: Exactly twelve months after one starts taking care of and managing the coconut tree well. No particular month in the year yields the most harvest. It is all based on management. Our climate is such that we can manage all the factors that are negative.

How can you control whiteflies in coconut tree leaves?

-Reece Dylan Estrocio

DL: The white fly was not a normal pest for the coconut tree until a few years ago. Farmers who are harvesting fruit from their trees cannot use the root feeding technique because that involves inserting a chemical into the fruit, which of course cannot be done. So, Nemocid which is an organic based spray is used.

Do all Virgin Coconut Oils have the same efficiency even though they have a different taste and smell?

-Asmi Lotliker

DL: Virgin Coconut oil is different from coconut oil. Coconut oil is made from copra, whereas virgin coconut oil is made from the fresh white kernel, the coconut that is just cut. It is colorless and not as viscous as coconut oil is. There is almost no smell in virgin coconut oil.

Which type of coconut produces high oil content?

-Vidhi Pankaj Pandya

DL: On average the taller trees have an oil percentage of roughly about 63% in the copra. There is one variety in the Lakshadweep island that produces about 75% oil. Our hybrid (Deejay Sampoorna) gives us around 67%-68% oil.

Are there any disadvantages of a coconut tree?

-Macwin Correia

DL: When coconut trees grow tall they become a danger as the branches begin to fall. Additionally, a coconuhard.t tree has no value when it’s dead. The timber of the coconut tree cannot be used as it is quite.

What is the difference between coconut cream and coconut butter?

-Radhik Cabral

DL: Coconut cream is separated from the fresh kernel, the juice is extracted and coconut milk is then procured, after which the fat content is separated which gives you the cream. As for coconut butter it is a similar process to your dairy butter.

What inspired you to take up coconut farming ?

-Aahan Mathew Jacob

DL: I met Professor Anthony Davis, a UN expert in 1982, he had done some research on a dwarf palm in a small village in South India. He is the one who convinced me to take up coconut breeding. It took me 22 years to make my first profit. But what inspired me to keep going were the words “We can help eliminate poverty and change the lives of farmers who feed us” by Prof. Anthony.

Is coconut high in cholesterol?

-Reece Dylan Estrocio

DL: Until the 1930s the oil of preference in the US was coconut oil. Plenty of research was done regarding coconut’s cholesterol content in order to boost corn oil, peanut oil and soybean oil. Most of this research published was bogus and many researchers discovered the falsification of the information. So, in short, while coconut oil does have a cholesterol content, anything in moderation is not a cause for alarm.

Does the taste of coconut oil tend to overpower when it’s used in food?

-Asmi Lotliker

DL: Yes, it does for those people who are not familiar with it. Coconut oil has a strong flavor and aroma.

What are the different ways can we use the fiber,twigs and leaves of the coconut tree?

-Vidhi Pankaj Pandya

DL: Choir is being used for dashboards in trucks and cars in the US and Europe. A professor from Kerala has started making straws out of coconut leaves. The possibilities are endless and coconut is a good substitute for plastic and other non-biodegradable materials.

How many years have you been in the coconut farming industry?     

-Macwin Correia                          
DL: It has been close to thirty nine years now.

What is your favorite dish centered around coconut?

-Radhik Cabral

DL: It would have to be the goan prawn curry hands down. I also have a dish that in my head I’m waiting for someone to create which I think would be perfect and that is, brown rice cooked in tender coconut water and served with prawn curry. That would be absolute heaven!