The KUDKURAN Angel

Most of us have seen Burt’s inspirational post on our local Ojochal Lifestyle Facebook page, heartwarming stories of him handing out KUDKURAN coconut shredders to local residents, schools and businesses. It is his passion to help local families gain easy access to the incredible nutrition locked in the humble coconut, help local entrepreneurs to start a food businesses, and to help local restaurants diversify their menus by including fresh, plentiful and local ingredients. And everyone who has used a KUDKURAN can agree that it takes the work and hassle out of extracting the delicious and nutritious coconut water, milk and meat. For Burt, this philanthropic mission has become his life’s calling.

I have interviewed Burt to help spread the word about how his selfless work and dedication are helping and empowering a diverse range of local residents.

Burt holding a mass KUDKURAN distribution at a Portalon school.

Table of Contents

MEET BURT

Hi everyone, my name is Burt. Thank you very much for your time. My story starts across the Pacific Ocean. I was born on a small but famous Island in the Philippines, named Leyte, known for the landing of General MacArthur in WWII. My family moved to the United States when I was 2 years of age since my grandfather was an American Soldier who fought during WWI and died a POW during WWII. I was the first in my family to earn a college and advanced college degree in Electrical Engineering and Business Management Administration focused on device fabrication of semiconductor components. My husband and I first visited Costa Rica about 20 years ago on our honeymoon and instantly fell in love with this country, but especially the people of Costa Rica. We soon bought a condo in Manuel Antonio after returning several times at different times of the year and to different areas as a way to establish our first step in eventual retirement to Costa Rica. In 2020 during COVID we retired early before the age of 50 (planned) but COVID made this decision easier for us.

This is Jenny. She is the principal at Portalon school. She is quite thankful for this donation of the Value Series KUDKURAN and actually will use it as a tool to teach the children which are elementary age, how to incorporate coconuts into their diets and how this is a great tool to help around the house. She's going to warn them about the sharpness of the blade, but she finds that this is such an excellent way for children to learn at an early age. — This is Jenny. She is the principal at Portalon school. She is quite thankful for this donation of the VALUE Series KUDKURAN and will use it as a tool to teach elementary age children how to incorporate coconuts into their diets and how this is a great tool to help around the house. She’s going to warn them about the sharpness of the blade, but she finds that this is such an excellent way for children to learn at an early age.

WHAT IS A ‘KUDKURAN’ COCONUT SHREDDER?

KUDKURAN is the name of the native coconut shredder in the Philippines, translated to “shredder”. Many Asian countries have their own versions and their own name but this is the name I am familiar with, having used it since the age of 5. The southern province region is known to hand make these tools. By age 7, on my first visit back to the Philippines, I asked my parents to redesign our KUDKURAN. At this time my parents knew I would grow up to be an engineer. The seat wasn’t optimal, the angle of the metal shredder wasn’t optimal and the balance was not good. The design now slightly mimics that of a horse. The metal is hand forged and of recycled material that I will not reveal further details at this point to help preserve the labor of my home island making these.

The recycled, hand-forged metal blade of the KUDKURAN.

Growing up poor, we would make our own coconut milk and shredded coconuts and I would use the KUDKURAN coconut shredder almost daily on the back porch of our home. Eventually I stopped using it when I went off to college and started my professional career, but my parents kept my original KUDKURAN. After my father passed away, we were sorting through some items and my mother handed me my KUDKURAN coconut shredder and I proudly displayed it at my own home, humbled by its presence. To this day, I prefer to make my own coconut milk and shredded coconut vs the processed, canned or bagged versions you find at the grocery store. Fresh is best.

Burt with the two KUDKURAN models - the SIGNATURE sitting version in his left hand, and the VALUE kneeling version in his right hand. — Burt with the two KUDKURAN models – the SIGNATURE sitting version in his left hand, and the VALUE kneeling version in his right hand.

All you need to extract maximum value and nutrition out of the humble coconut.

To see a number of videos demonstrating the use of the KUDKURAN, click here: KUDKURAN instructions

Burt demonstrating the use of the VALUE kneeling series of the KUDKURAN.

Burt demonstrating the use of the SIGNATURE sitting series of the KUDKURAN.

HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT WORKING WITH THE KUDKURAN IN CR?

I grew up always doing something philanthropic from volunteering at Agnews Developmental Center in high school, tutoring children whose father or mother were in prison, to riding my bike 550 miles to help raise money for AIDS Lifecycle. Moving to Costa Rica, I wanted to do something locally but just couldn’t figure it out. I have been familiar with the KUDKURAN for 50 years but am so used to it that I took the idea of using it for granted. Things didn’t change until I heard a group of people talking about making curry and how fresh coconut milk is the best but that there was no easy way to extract the milk. The bell in my head rang and I started to do some research here and overseas.

I put my product development cap on and researched how Costa Ricans and even Expats make coconut milk. I found that majority of methods are… smashing the coconut into pieces (wasting the coconut water), using a dinner knife and/or spoon to scrape out the meat, then putting everything into a blender. Some Costa Ricans even put the coconut over a fire to help soften the meat. I then asked around social media to see if there are other methods around. I realized that although my method may not be superior, they offers a couple advantages…

1. My method of shredding is easier than using the current methods already, and

2. I end up with 2-3 byproducts. With the methods mentioned above, you do end up with a very thick pulpy coconut milk but why not have 2-3 byproducts? Coconut water, coconuts milk and shredded coconuts! I prefer to incorporate the coconut water when extracting coconut milk so I typically end up with 2 byproducts. The milk is not as thick and pulpy as putting it all in a blender, but the flavors and nutritional value are still there.

Burt preparing a KUDKURAN demonstration.

Alternatively there are electronic shredders. The only useful ones are the commercial machines which are costly and extremely bulky. The smaller individual shredders sold on amazon are similar to a hand-drill mounted to a countertop…these are a bit awkward and unstable and may not last long.

The prices of coconut milk today ranges from $3-$4 per can (processed). A small bag of dry shredded coconuts is around $6. A husked coconut is easily 500 Colones at the grocery store and even readily available as free when you find coconuts along the beaches or easily grow them on your property!

There are such enormous nutritional benefits of incorporating coconuts into your diet and I thought the KUDKURAN could be a great way to help empower Costa Ricans by giving them this tool to help easily shred coconuts and incorporate the health benefits of coconuts into their diets. I quickly called a friend still living in my hometown to investigate the price and import costs of making the shredding blade. I then showed this tool to Anthony Furniture and he quickly became enthusiastic as a way to be involved in this philanthropic project. I ran the spreadsheets and even built initial prototypes to test them here in Costa Rica by expats and locals and gather their feedback before launching this project. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive in its use. I ran the numbers and realized that there are now additional benefits to this philanthropic project… 1) A useful tool to Costa Ricans to incorporate coconuts into their diets. 2) a job to a small village in the Philippines in making the hand forged shredding blades. 3) Anthony Furniture can keep his workers busy making these KUDKURANs. 4) this is environmentally sound because we use scrap wood (teak) and recycled metal that would end up filling scrap yards.

I would release 2 models from my initial research. Signature Series: a sitting version and the Value Series: a kneeling version. The Value Series is more simple and less costly to make but still as efficient as the Signature Series. With every Signature or Value Series sold, I could then match a Value Series donated to a Costa Rican family! There is no profit and to eliminate any question that this could be a scam (yes I did receive dubious responses on my initial research) I do not accept payment until the product is delivered. I then have a database of all KUDKURANS I have sold along with the respective family that received the donated model. I share the picture of the receiving family to the original purchaser so they know that their purchase has benefited a family.

Yes, the blade could be made locally, but I want to at least secure some work for the people of my village where this originated. The metal being hand forged will last a lifetime and will not require sharpening. The metal will eventually turn all black being constantly seasoned with the oils from the coconut…similar to a cast iron pan. The blade is imported, Anthony Furniture makes the wooden furniture and I take care of the final assembly and test. Yes, quality assurance is imbedded in this product. I even brand the name on each wooden piece and I now engrave my initials under the blade all in the name of authenticity (initial release did not have this engravement as I was awaiting the engraving tool). The official release was March 25, 2024.

Local villagers in the Philippines hand-forge the recycled KUDKURAN blade. — Local villagers from Burt’s hometown in the Philippines hand-forge the recycled KUDKURAN blade.

Additionally, I have seen a Costa Rican version in which a machete blade is modified to have grooves and nailed to a board to shred coconuts. Same concept but not as well built as the KUDKURAN.

HOW DOES THE KUDKURAN EMPOWER LOCAL PEOPLE?

The feedback has been amazing. Initially, I was spending time providing demonstrations so that people could understand how this tool is used. People have told me how this tool has helped incorporate coconuts into their diets more easily and economically. They love the design of either the Signature or Value Series and proudly displaying them in their homes. Some recipients have told me this will help them to earn money for their family by making coconut ice cream, coconut honey, coconut oil, etc. Mostly people are quite grateful to have this tool simply to make coconut milk and shredded coconuts for their families.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR KUDKURAN SUCCESS STORIES?

The launch is still new but the journey has been emotional. I am touched to hear a person excited to make coconut oil to help earn money for his new family. A woman told me she once made coconut ice cream but stopped because of the difficulty in shredding coconuts but this tool is giving her hope to restart this venture. A woman called me to tell me she wants one because when her husband passed away, she had to close her Caribbean restaurant and the KUDKURAN coconut shredder can give her a tool to start over and possibly start catering or reopen her restaurant with only the freshest ingredients, and that this makes it more economical than buying the expensive processed canned coconut milk from the stores.

One heartwarming story was when a neighbor become a recipient and invited us over for dinner in which every meal was made from the KUDKURAN…the appetizer, the main meal and even the desert!!!!

Each donation has a specific and unique story. So far this has touched me the most. This is Marnie. Her husband recently passed away and had to close down her restaurant focused on Caribbean food. She's seen my posts and admired my KUDKURAN as an artisan piece of work and reached out to me about receiving one. She says her dishes only use fresh ingredients and needs a tool to restart her business. She says the KUDKURAN is a tool much easier than her previous method and is so grateful. She is starting all over doing catering and private chef but it's important to use the freshest ingredients especially the coconut. She is an absolute sweet soul and I left there in tears wishing her the very best. A generous donor wanted her to have the Signature Series because it would serve her best. This tool will help her tremendously. +506 6436 9268 is her number for incredible dishes focused on Caribbean and Costa Rican cuisine. Photos and menu are forthcoming... — Each donation has a specific and unique story. So far this has touched me the most. This is Marnie. Her husband recently passed away and had to close down her restaurant focused on Caribbean food. She’s seen my posts and admired my KUDKURAN as an artisan piece of work and reached out to me about receiving one. She says her dishes only use fresh ingredients and needs a tool to restart her business. She says the KUDKURAN is a tool much easier than her previous method and is so grateful. She is starting all over doing catering and private chef but it’s important to use the freshest ingredients especially the coconut. She is an absolute sweet soul and I left there in tears wishing her the very best. A generous donor wanted her to have the Signature Series because it would serve her best. This tool will help her tremendously. +506 6436 9268 is her number for incredible dishes focused on Caribbean and Costa Rican cuisine. Photos and menu are forthcoming…

HOW MANY KUDKURANS HAVE YOU DELIVERED TO LOCAL RESIDENTS?

As this is recently launched and was initially slow following the typical bell curve, to date I have distributed 100 sold and donated KUDKURANs. People are now contacting me with offers to sponsor a KUDKURAN for a family and then I would still match a Value Series. I have now held 2 group giveaways in Portalon and donated about 30 in that town alone! Right now my initial promotion is on social media. I hope publications like this and others can help spread the word as my goal is to make the KUDKURAN a standard in Costa Rica. Coconuts are readily available and nutritious and this is a project I have become proud of to help give back to this wonderful country and the people who have welcomed us here with open arms.

This carload of 30 KUDKURANS was delivered to local families over a 2-week span.

DO YOU RECEIVE DONATIONS TO HELP WITH YOUR WORK?

I have no financial assistance at this moment. The initial investment came from me along with my expense on traveling to deliver the purchases and donated goods along with my time to give demonstrations. Donations would be extremely beneficial so that I do not have to rely on purchased items to give out the donations. A generous individual donated money so that she could give out 2 KUDKURANs, and with my matching donated items we benefit 4 families! Recently another individual asked to donate 8 Value Series after receiving a Signature Series as she clearly understood the usefulness of the KUDKURAN coconit shredder and with my matching donation of 8, we ended up benefitting 16 families!!!!

Burt is proud to put a lot of time, effort and expertise into ensuring that each KUDKURAN is built to the highest levels of quality and durability.

HOW CAN PEOPLE HELP YOU IN YOUR MISSION?

People can donate, purchase, help spread the word. Companies like RE/MAX who understand this philanthropic venture and helped by publishing this story, this is priceless. Restaurant/Bar Businesses can help by purchasing a KUDKURAN and incorporating the fresh coconut products into their meals/drinks. If any retail stores can get involved to help carry inventory and promote the KUDKURAN coconut shredder, that would be invaluable. I will soon take a trip to the Caribbean side where coconut milk is heavily used in their local dishes and any festivals/artisan shows that are available can be brought to my attention so I can provide demonstrations/sell/distribute.

My Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/burt.barber and my website is located here: http://www.KUDKURAN.com

This website provides the mission, instructional videos, prices, FAQs, and blogs. Anyone interested in donating, or purchasing a KUDKURAN coconut shredder can contact me at burt.barber@gmail.com

Our vibrant expat community, together with the local residents, makes Costa Ballena a wonderful location to settle, retire or build a vacation home for part-time enjoyment. Our Kudkuran Angel is just one of many professionals, artists, musicians, mystics, fitness instructors (you name it…) who make our area home. We are sure that you would fit in PERFECTLY – while you browse the local properties available in Costa Ballena, know that RE/MAX WE SELL PARADISE is your trusted partner in the South Pacific corner of Costa Rica…and make sure you visit Burt to pick up your own Kudkuran coconut shredder!