Make coconut candy mill

Coconut Workshop - Ben Tre is well-known as coconut island because it has a largest coconut growing area in Mekong Delta. A thousand of people are living on 40,000 hectares of coconut tree. First is the farmer, who has land and grow coconut trees, they sell co coconut fruit to middle man. Second is basis processing workshop where we visit now, people separate coconut flesh from coconut and sell them to manufacturer. Third is coconut candy and many people working for making candy, most of processes are making by hand so it requires number of workers. Ben Tre has not got a fertile land as other prince of Mekong Delta. Soil is not good if famer grows other fruit trees such as mango or orange. That is why, hundred years ago, farmer grows coconut for many generations, and therefore they are most experience in growing this type of tree. Coconut tree grows up to 3 years before having fruits, root of the tree going very deep and large in land, and so can not grow other type of tree. However, coconut fruit can be harvested all year round. From flowering time to fruit time it takes about 30 days and only some coconuts of one bunch could be picked at a time, people have to climb up the tree and pick by hand or they uses a long bamboo stick, they throw coconut into the irrigation water way so it not broken. Local also uses a string put around their legs so they can climb up easy but require strength. Coconut when it still green, the juice is sweet and refreshable and it is got very highe nutrition and more than energy drink you have at home. When coconut become brown, lighter which we call “dry coconut” the flesh inside thicker, harder and the juice is sour, we don’t drink the coconut at this age instead we use the flesh to make coconut milk, oil from which we can make candy, cooking or perfume.