Edible Palms and Their Uses1

Palms represent the third most important plant family with respect to human use (Johnson, 1998). Numerous edible products are obtained from palms, including the familiar date palm fruits, coconut palm nuts, and various palm oils. Some less well-known edible palm products include palm “cabbage ” or “heart-of-palm”, immature inflorescences, and sap from mature inflorescences. This article presents a fairly comprehensive list of ‘edible ’ uses for palms worldwide. Since this was designed as a guide for the average homeowner or palm enthusiast, it includes only those uses that do not require extensive processing. Although most palm products are no