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 soup in coconut milk. Palembang's "mie celor" is noodles in shrimp and coconut soup, while "laksan" is slices of "pempek" fish surimi served in coconut-based laksa soup. Sweet coconut soup dessert includes "kolak" and "cendol", popular for iftar during Ramadan. "Tom kha kai" is a popular dish in Laos. "Laksa" is a traditional soup in Peranakan cuisine of the Peranakan Chinese people that is sometimes prepared using coconut milk, noodles, curry spices, and meats such as chicken, fish or shrimp. Tofu and vegetables are also sometimes used as ingredients. "Binignit" is a Philippine dessert soup prepared using coconut milk, sliced sweet