Coconut emblem and coat of arms. Coconut trees are grown on all the islands. Before modern construction methods were introduced, coconut leaves were used as roofing material for many houses in the islands, while coconut timber was used to build houses and boats. The main coconut-producing area in the Middle East is the Dhofar region of Oman, but they can be grown all along the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea coasts, because these seas are tropical and provide enough humidity (through seawater evaporation) for coconut trees to grow. The young coconut plants need to be nursed and irrigated with
Coconut milk prevent the milk from separating inside the can. Coconut milk can used in both sweet and savory dishes. In many tropical and Asian cuisines it is a traditional ingredient in curries and other dishes, including desserts. Coconut rice is a rice cooked in coconut milk consumed in Southeastern Asia and the Caribbean. "Nasi lemak" is a Malaysian version of coconut rice, while the same dish is called "nasi uduk" in Indonesia. Coconut milk is also used throughout Asia for making traditional serabi, an Asian style pancake. In Brazil, coconut milk is mostly used in northeastern cuisine, generally with seafood stews