COOKING
PURCHASING
What is Heart of Palm?
Pacific Heart of Palm is a vegetable product – it is the single growing point at the top of the peach or pejibaye palm (Bactris gasipaes) from which the fronds/leaves are emerging on a continuous basis. Harvesting the peach palm is sustainable, because it is a palm with multiple stems, as one stem is cut, suckers are growing up to take its place and the palm is not killed. This is unlike harvesting for most species of palm for the heart which is destructive and the palms are killed.
How Pacific Heart of Palm is harvested and processed
1
Plantation Grown
To grow the Peach Palm that will be sustainably harvested for the Heart of Palm on Hogamata Farm in the Sigatoka Valley, requires regular palm trimming and drip irrigation from a natural spring
2
Hand picked stems
Palm stems are harvested, the fronds (leaves) are removed, the heart area is cut above and below, the cut stem is trimmed of its outer 1 or 2 leaf bases (1st trim) – no part of the heart is to be exposed; the trimmed stems are laid on freshly cut fronds
3
On-farm Processing
A 2nd trim removes additional leaf bases, & a meat saw is used to top & tail the stem above & below the heart. Additional leaf bases are removed as required without exposing any part of the heart. The stem is wiped clean & transferred to the Clean Room
4
Processing: Clean Room
In the Clean Room, the last leaf sheaths are removed and the stem topped and tailed to reveal the heart (3rd trim). An experienced processor then does the final trimming of the heart, and determines the edible portion. A dry wipe and inspection completes the process
5
Final Packing
The heart of palm is cut to size for the destination carton, inspected, wrapped with food-grade cling-wrap & then weighed. The heart of palm may be vacuum-packed if required. It is then placed within bubble-wrap in a carton & sealed for storage or despatch.
Nutrition of Peach Palm Heart and Fruit
Peach palm fruit have long been known to be a highly nutritious food and a staple of the diet of the people of the Amazon. Besides having starch, oil and protein, peach palm fruit are rich in vitamins, especially important is vitamin A
Prawn, Ota & Heart of Palm Salad
Ura, Ota and Heart of Palm Salad
by Chef Colin Chung
- 60 g ( ¾ cup) Heart of Palm, diagonally sliced 2-3mm;
- ½ cup Ota (fern shoots), large tops blanched in salted water and cooled;
- 6 river Ura (prawns), tails shelled and cleaned except for the tail end;
- 2 tbsp Lime & Coriander Aioli.
Full Ura, Ota and Heart of Palm Salad recipe here…
Exclusively at select Fine Dining Restaurants & Gourmet Outlets
Pacific Heart of Palm Recipes
Millionaire’s Salad with Heart of Palm
Millionaire’s Salad, so called because it is composed of delicious ingredients that are bound to leave ...
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Grilled Heart of Palm with Fish & Carrot-Corn-Passionfruit Salsa
A favourite of local cook Lice Tiqe in Suva.
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Grilled Heart of Palm with Sesame Chicken, Avocado and a Corn Salsa
Fresh gourmet heart of palm with soft sesame chicken.
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Avocado & Hearts of Palm Chop Chop Salad
Pairing ripe, buttery lightly nutty and soft avocados with the firm yet soft hearts of palm ...
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