Pipa
Fria:
What
in
the
World
is
this?
By
Angelina
Phillips,
Voiceofnosara.com
On
one
of
our
road
trips
in
Costa
Rica,
we
passed
a
roadside
wooden
“pipa
fria”
sign
as
our
grown
son
exclaimed,
“pull
over!”
He
jumped
out
and
returned
with
liquid
filled
plastic
bags.
As I
asked
“what
in
the
world?”
he
replied,
“Are
you
kidding?
This
is
the
best
stuff
around.”
I
now
drink
pipa
fria
daily
–
several
times
a
day!
I
crave
it.
Cooling
off
with
Pipa
Fria.
The
milk
of
the
coconut
is
full
of
vitamins
and
nutrients.
So
what
is
pipa
fria
and
why
the
rage?
In
other
parts
of
the
world
you
may
know
it
as
coconut
water
and
it
is
more
typically
available
in
cans.
If
you
are
particularly
lucky
you
will
find
it
simple
without
sugar
or
high
fructose
corn
syrup
added.
In
reality,
the
way
to
drink
it
is
straight
from
the
coconut
or
from
someone
who
has
freshly
bottled
it –
drinking
it
in
the
tropics
is
optional
but
preferred!
Be
aware
that
this
natural
beverage
will
change
your
world.
Pipa
fria
is
particularly
well
suited
for
the
warm
climes
of
Costa
Rica.
Here
in
the
tropics
both
tourist
and
local
alike
can
easily
become
dehydrated
and
not
even
know
it.
It
can
sneak
up
on
you
and
then
next
thing
you
know
you
are
lethargic,
have
a
headache
or
even
worse.
Skip
the
Gatorade
and
head
for
pipa
fria,
which
is
full
of
electrolytes
and
packed
with
calcium,
magnesium,
and
potassium.
The
water
is
low
in
calories
and
fat
and
has
no
cholesterol.
Research
shows
that
drinking
coconut
water
improves
immunity,
increases
metabolism,
and
improves
your
HDL
cholesterol.
It
also
works
as
an
intestinal
regulator.
It
is
low
in
sodium
and
sugar
so
this
could
be a
good
option
for
diabetics
also.
For
all
those
pH
fanatics,
coconut
water
is
also
believed
to
help
balance
the
body’s
pH
to
help
fight
illness
more
effectively
as
it
is
antibacterial
and
antifungal.
It
also
helps
you
better
absorb
the
nutrients
in
your
food.
I
could
go
on…
A
few
more
interesting
facts:
Coconut
water
is
used
as
an
alternative
to
breast
milk
in a
number
of
tropical
countries
and
during
World
War
II
in
the
Pacific
theater
coconut
water
was
used
as
an
alternative
for
saline
infusions
and
is
still
used
today
in
emergency
situations.
Are
you
convinced
this
tasty
little
gift
from
the
coconut
tree
is
good
for
you?
Here
is
one
last
piece
of
good
news.
You
can
find
them
for
sale
on
the
streets
of
Samara,
Nosara
and
even
the
streets
of
Nicoya
for
500
to
1000
colones
or
bottled
for
1500
to
2000
colones.
Bottled
pipa
fria
is
usually
2-3
coconuts
so
this
is a
pretty
good
deal.
Thirsty?
Head
to
Samara
Organics
at
the
Natural
Center,
Naked
Foods
and
Organico
in
Guiones
or
some
Tico
supermarkets
where
they
bottle
it
almost
daily.
Don’t
forget
to
return
the
bottle
so
it
can
be
reused
or
recycled.
Or,
if
you
are
feeling
adventurous,
climb
a
tree
and
cut
your
own
green
or
yellow
coconut.
Find
a
machete
to
open
it
and
drink
your
own.
One
warning:
it
isn’t
as
easy
as
it
looks
–
the
climbing
or
the
opening!
Why
not
skip
the
hard
work
and
take
it
easy?
Support
your
local
business
or
street
vendor
and
find
someone
that
sells
them.
While
driving
in
Costa
Rica
you
will
pass
numerous
fruit
stands
and
you
will
miss
out
if
you
don’t
pull
your
car
over
and
partake
in
these
fun
fruits.
Pipa
fría
is
fresh
chilled
green
coconut.
It’s
a
perfect
refreshment
for
a
hot
day
– it
is
loaded
with
vitamins
and
gives
you
an
instant
burst
of
energy.
Bonus
–
it’s
an
aphrodisiac.
The
local
legend
is
that
it
is
so
pure,
it
can
be
used
as a
replacement
for
plasma
if
necessary.
Photo
courtesy
of
traveling9to5.com
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