Many of us love the Singapore cold dessert ice-kacang (Bean Ice) and probably wondered where the large translucent ovals on top of it came from? These are Attap palm seeds. Image Credit

They are the immature fruits of the Nipah palm also known as the Nypa fruticans. It is one of the few palms that grows well in mangrove conditions. It is commonly found growing in dense clusters with their fronds growing out from the soft mud. The leaves are used for roof thatching in "attap houses". While the Nipah palm may look trunkless, the trunk actually lies horizontally underground. and only the leaves and flower stalk grow upwards above the surface.