What are Hearts of Palm?

By Ashleigh Smith

You may have heard of a hearts of palm or seen it on a menu, but what is it? Hearts of palm is the vegetable that comes from the butt of some palm trees. You can’t harvest it from every palm, but Coconut, Jucara, Acai, Palmetto, and Peach Palms are the most popular choices. When harvesting Hearts of Palm, it is essential only to remove one stem at a time to prevent death of the palm trees.

The hearts of palm appears as a white, fleshy vegetable that can be used in various ways. You can cut it up into salads, made into gluten-free pasta, puree into a creamy dip, grilled, or used as a substitute for other vegetables in stews and soups.

This unique vegetable is naturally high in zinc, potassium, magnesium, and other important nutrients. You can eat it raw when the outer layer is removed like jicama. Usually, you can purchase them throughout the world in cylinders or rings that have been packed in a saltwater brine. For use in salads or fresh eating, be sure to rinse well to accommodate for its packing brine. You can likely find this delightful vegetable in your local grocery stores packed in a can or jar.

What does hearts of palm taste like?
This delicate vegetable tastes like a nutty-flavored artichoke. One of the best characteristics of this vegetable, though, is its versatility when cooked. You can enjoy its crunchy yet creamy texture in the designated hearts of palm recipes or use it as a substitute in your favorite artichoke recipes for a twist of flavor.