Today we went on the “Heart of Palms” Tour on the Caribbean side of the continental divide in Costa Rica. This area was really unique with more dirt-like terrain, extremely humid, and for the first time ever since we’ve been in Costa Rica, it started raining.

In comparison to coffee, the Heart of Palm grows in tropical, humid areas while coffee grows at higher altitudes in the mountains. The Heart of Palm is a very unique vegetable. It’s grows in the core of certain types of Palm trees. Once the tree is cut, the bark of the palm tree is peeled off and that’s when you see the white heart of palm. The edible portion only makes up about a meter of the plant.

Unlike coffee which can only be harvested for 4 months, the Heart of Palm can be harvested year round. So, that’s a great thing, but the downside is that the harvest seems to be very labor intensive. There is so much to remove before you get to the edible or inside part.

The taller the plant is, the harder it is to harvest the Heart of Palm, which is why it’s easier to harvest the plant when it’s 7 months old and shorter. Some potential challenges that this plantation faces is keeping the plants strong, fresh, and with moisture during exportation. One way that they keep the plants fresh and strong is by leaving the inside shell or skin on. This protects the plant while it’s in transportation.

My topic for my project revolves around delivery and logistics. That wasn’t heavily discussed today, but I think a challenge would be finding ways to pack the plant effectively since all the skin is left on. I don’t really know how much space it would take up.

The Palm Trees with the Heart of Palm aren’t only for Food Purposes

The palm tree that the Heart of Palm grows in is extremely versatile. Yes, it can be used to make delicious cornbread, tortillas, or even in lasagna, but it can also be used for construction. The fibers in the plant get stronger overtime as the plant grows and they eventually get hard like wood. In fact the fibers are so strong that the indigenous people would use them for bows and arrows. The fibers can also be used for columns in houses.

Ending the Day With Delicious Food

The Heart of Palm has a neutral taste. It kind of tastes similar to cauliflower or something along those lines. I wasn’t a huge fan of it raw, it didn’t really taste like much. However, since it’s neutral it can be used in several types of dishes.

On Monday we’ll be visiting Banana and Pineapple Plantations, so stay tuned for that! Pura Vida!