*Macapuno balls are a soft and slightly sweet candy (or dessert) made with coconut.

Macapuno is the result of a naturally occurring coconut mutation (called coconut sport), for those of you not in the know! A mutant ninja coconut, one might say. The coconut develops abnormally and results in a coconut fruit with a shell filled with gelatinous coconut meat, with little to no liquid.

The Philippine Coconut Authority now develops trees that yield 80% macapuno fruit. The macapuno fruit looks exactly like a regular coconut on the outside, but coconut conoisseurs easily tell them apart by the sound the macapuno fruit makes when knocking on the outer shell.

Macapuno is used in various desserts but can also be spooned right out of the jar, as I used to do when I was a little girl. If you love the sinful sweetness of macapuno and want to enjoy it on the go, try these macapuno balls!

5 oz.