Coconut Water

Drink it with rum – it’s the poison and the antidote rolled into one.

Prince makes it look easy, but that machete is sharp.

Coconut Water – the Healthy Roadside Drink

While the craze for coconut water is currently sweeping Britain and the US, with celebrities endorsing it as a healthy alternative to sports drinks, Bajans have been glugging the stuff down for longer than anyone can remember.

During any tour of Barbados, especially on a Sunday, you’ll see vendors like Prince (above) on the roadside, cutting the shells and pouring coconut water into sterile bottles.

It’s lower in calories than most branded drinks and is reputed to contain more potassium than four bananas. There are claims that it is anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic and is good for the kidneys.

It’ll keep you going!

Apparently it’s full of minerals like calcium, magnesium and zinc and is also a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin and thiamine.

Tennis professional John Isner said coconut water kept him cramp-free during his record-breaking 11-hour match at Wimbledon in 2010. Hardly surprising then, that it’s marketed as a wonder tonic.

Avoid hangovers!

Ask to try the jelly, the soft white flesh lining the inside.

The vendor will cut you a spoon from the husk and let you scoop it out.

But watch out, the jelly’s reputed to be an aphrodisiac.

Scientists agree it’s an excellent way to rehydrate, far better than anything from the bar or the snack shop.

And it’s perfect after a long day roasting in the sun or exploring the island.

A bottle should not cost more than $12Bds. Bring your old bottle – vendors will refill it and give you $2 off.

The water tastes slightly nutty and sweet and is best drunk chilled or over ice. You can drink it out of the nut, but in a bottle it will last a couple of days in the fridge.

It’s a hangover cure of course but you could mix the coconut water with your rum – it’s like the poison and the antidote rolled into one.

And a very satisfying taste of Barbados it is too.

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