Green coconuts are the same variety as the brown, hairy ones with which you may be more familiar. Both come from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) (1). The difference lies in the age of the coconut.

When the heat hits, many of us reach for a cool coconut. But as you stand before the vendor, you're faced with a choice: the vibrant green 'tender' coconut or the mature, husked brown one. While both ...