Buko refers to a young, immature green coconut, and also to their meat. Coconuts are everywhere in the Philippines, and apart from the fruit, the trees are prized for the usefulness of their various parts: the leaves used to wrap puso and suman, the wood from the trunk used as lumber, the heart called ubod; see lumpiang sariwa), and even the roots (used as dyestuff. The mature coconut fruit is the source of coconut milk, coconut oil, and meat, but the buko is most prized for not requiring any processing—it is an instant drink and snack in a shell, if you can crack the shell open.
Fortunately, if you order buko from a street vendor or in a restaurant, they will expertly split the shell enough for you to drink the water and scrape off the gelatinous young coconut meat inside. Buko “juice” is filling, hydrating, and oh-so-refreshing on a hot day, while the meat has a slightly sweet, delicate coconutty flavor that’s especially satisfying after a big meal.
Pinoy Foodelicious 