The corozo, also called tagua, is the seed of the corozo palm native to South America. The fruits can be eaten and drunk when fresh. They are dried so hard that they are referred to as "vegetable ivory".
The home of the corozo palm
Corozo palms are also known by the names tagua nut or corozo nut. They grow in the tropical rainforest, especially in Ecuador, but are also found in Brazil, Peru and Panama.
The palm develops palm fronds up to six meters long and one meter wide. There are both male and female trees. The flowers of the female palms give off an intoxicating scent. Mature female trees produce up to 20 fruit balls per year, which can reach the size of a head.
The fruit balls grow directly on the relatively short trunk of the palm tree. It takes six to twelve months for them to mature. They are harvested with a machete, which is used to cut through the hard, woody stalk.
Nuts hard as ivory
The seeds, the taguas, develop inside the fruit ball. They can be as big as walnuts, some even the size of a chicken egg. The seeds of a fresh corozo are initially soft. After a drying time of several months, they harden so much that they are just as hard as the nutshell.
The brown-black skin is removed. Underneath, the light-colored seeds, which are ivory in color, emerge. They can be easily worked with a carving knife.
In the past, the dried kernels were often made into buttons as a substitute for the much more expensive ivory buttons. Today, the inhabitants make jewelry and everyday objects from the stone nuts.
Edible corozo
The fresh corozo contains a liquid that is drinkable and has a slightly sour taste. The flesh of the fruit is also edible. Fermented, it serves as the basis for a drink called "Chicha de Tagua".
Versatile corozo palm
Not only the seeds of the palm tree are used. Roofs are covered with the leaves. The intricate carvings made from the seeds are coveted commodities that allow locals to significantly increase their income.
tips and tricks
The corozo palm only grows in rainforest climates up to an altitude of 1,800 meters. It prefers swampy locations. In Germany it can therefore only be kept in orangeries or palm gardens.