Coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingredient used in Southeast Asia, Oceania, South Asia, and East Africa. It is also used for cooking in the Caribbean, tropical Latin America, and West Africa, where coconuts were introduced during the colonial era.
Coconut milk is differentiated into subtypes based on fat content. They can be generalized into coconut cream with the highest amount of fat; coconut milk with a maximum of around 20% fat; and coconut skim milk with negligible amounts of fat. This terminology is not always followed in commercial coconut milk sold in western countries.
Coconut milk can also be used to produce milk substitutes. These products are not the same as regular coconut milk products which are meant for cooking, not drinking. A sweetened, processed, coconut milk product from Puerto Rico is also known as cream of coconut. It is used in many desserts and beverages like the piña colada, though it should not be confused with coconut cream.
Nutrition
In a 100 milliliter portion, coconut milk contains 230 kilocalories and is 68% water, 24% total fat, 6% carbohydrates, and 2% protein. The fat composition includes 21 grams of saturated fat, half of which is lauric acid.Coconut milk is a rich source of manganese and an adequate source of phosphorus, iron, and magnesium, with no other nutrients in significant content.
Definition and terminology
Coconut milk is a relatively stable oil-in-water emulsion with proteins that act as emulsifiers and thickening agents. It is opaque and milky white in color and ranges in consistency from watery to creamy. Based on fat content, coconut milk is divided into different subtypes generally simplified into "coconut cream", "coconut milk", and "coconut skim milk", from highest to lowest respectively. Coconut milk and coconut cream are traditionally differentiated in countries where coconuts are native based on the stages of extraction. They are also differentiated in modern standards set by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. However, the terminologies are not always followed in commercial coconut milk because these standards are not mandatory. This can cause confusion among consumers.The Asian and Pacific Coconut Community standardizes coconut milk and coconut cream products as:
| Product | Fat content |
| Concentrated coconut cream | 40–50 |
| High fat coconut cream | 30–39 |
| Medium fat coconut cream | 25–29 |
| Low fat coconut cream | 20–25 |
| High fat coconut milk | 15–20 |
| Medium fat coconut milk | 10–15 |
| Low fat coconut milk | 5–10 |
| Coconut skim milk | 0–1.5 |
The Codex Alimentarius of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations standardizes coconut milk and coconut cream products as:
| Product | Total solids Min.-Max. | Non-fat solids Min. | Fat Min. | Moisture Max. | pH |
| Light coconut milk | 6.6 - 12.6 | 1.6 | 5 | 93.4 | 5.9 |
| Coconut milk | 12.7 - 25.3 | 2.7 | 10 | 87.3 | 5.9 |
| Coconut cream | 25.4 - 37.3 | 5.4 | 20 | 74.6 | 5.9 |
| Coconut cream concentrate | 37.4 min. | 8.4 | 29 | 62.6 | 5.9 |
Coconut milk can also sometimes be confused with coconut water. Coconut water is the clear fluid found within the coconut seed, while coconut milk is the extracted liquid derived from the manual or mechanical crushing of coconut pulp. Coconut cream should also not be confused with creamed coconut, which is a semi-solid paste made from finely ground coconut pulp; and cream of coconut, which is a processed product made from heavily sweetened coconut cream.
Traditional preparation
Coconut milk is traditionally made by grating the white inner flesh of mature coconuts and mixing the shredded coconut pulp with a small amount of hot water in order to suspend the fat present in the grated pulp. The grating process can be carried out manually or by machine.Coconut milk is also traditionally divided into two grades: coconut cream and thin coconut milk. Coconut cream contains around 20% to 50% fat; while thin coconut milk contains 5% to 20% fat.
Coconut cream is extracted from the first pressings of grated coconut pulp directly through cheesecloth. Sometimes a small amount of hot water may also be added, but generally coconut cream is extracted with no added water. Thin coconut milk, on the other hand, is produced by the subsequent pressings after soaking the squeezed coconut pulp with hot water.
Gravity separation can also be used to derive a top layer of coconut cream and a bottom layer of coconut skim milk. This is achieved by simply allowing the extracted liquid to stand for an hour. Conversely, coconut cream can be diluted into thinner coconut milk by simply adding water.
Traditionally prepared coconut milk is utilized immediately after being freshly extracted because it spoils easily when exposed to air. They become rancid after a few hours at room temperatures of due to lipid oxidation and lipolysis. Rancid coconut milk gives off a strong unpleasant smell and has a distinctive soapy taste.
Coconut cream contains a higher amount of soluble, suspended solids, which makes it a good ingredient for desserts, and rich and dry sauces. Because thin milk contains a lesser amount of these soluble solids, it is mainly used in general cooking. The distinction between coconut cream and thin coconut milk is not usually made in western nations due to the fact that fresh coconut milk is uncommon in these countries and most consumers buy coconut milk in cartons or cans.
Coconut milk is also an intermediate step in the traditional wet process methods of producing virgin coconut oil by gradual heating, churning, or fermentation. These methods, however, are less efficient than coconut oil production from copra.
Coconut graters
Manual coconut graters are a standard kitchen equipment in households in the tropical Asia-Pacific and Eastern Africa, underscoring the importance of coconut milk and coconut oil extraction in the Indo-Pacific. They reached as far as Polynesia before European contact via the Austronesian expansion.The basic design of coconut graters consist of a low bench or stool with a horizontal serrated disk attached on one end. A person sits on the bench and repeatedly scrapes the inner surface of halved coconut shells with both hands over the metal disk. The scrapings are gathered by a container placed below.
More modern mechanical coconut graters dating back to the mid-1800s consist of serrated blades with a hand crank. This version is believed to be a British invention.
Processed coconut milk products
Commercially processed coconut milk products use largely the same processes to extract coconut milk from pulp, though they use more mechanical equipment like deshelling machines, grinders and pulverizers, motorized coconut shredders, and coconut milk extractors.They differ significantly in the bottling or canning process, however. Processed coconut milk are first filtered through a 100 mesh filters. They are pasteurized indirectly by double boiling at around, carefully not exceeding, the temperature at which coconut milk start to coagulate. After pasteurization, they are immediately transferred to filling vessels and sealed before being cooled down. They are then packed into bottles, cans, or pouches and blast frozen for storage and transport.
Manufacturers of canned coconut milk typically combine diluted and comminuted milk with the addition of water as a filler. Depending on the brand and age of the milk itself, a thicker, more paste-like consistency floats to the top of the can, and is sometimes separated and used in recipes that require coconut cream rather than coconut milk. Some brands sold in Western countries undergo homogenization and add additional thickening agents and emulsifiers to prevent the milk from separating inside the can.
Due to factors like pasteurization, minimal contact with oxygen, and additives like antioxidants, processed coconut milk generally has a longer shelf life than traditionally prepared coconut milk. It is also more efficient than traditional methods at extracting the maximum amount of coconut milk from grated coconut.
Coconut milk powder
Coconut cream can be dehydrated into coconut milk powder which has a far longer shelf life. They are processed by adding maltodextrin and casein to coconut cream to improve fluidity and then spray drying the mixture. The powder is packaged in moisture-proof containers. To use, water is simply added to the coconut milk powder.Coconut skim milk
Coconut skim milk is coconut milk with very low levels of fat. It is a byproduct of coconut cream and coconut oil production and are usually discarded. However, they are increasingly being used as a food ingredient for products which require coconut flavoring without the fats. They can also be used as a base in the production of coconut milk beverages used as dairy milk substitutes, as they do not contain the high levels of fat characteristic of regular coconut milk while still being a good source of soluble proteins.Milk substitutes
Processed coconut milk can be used as substitutes for various dairy milk beverages, usually marketed as "coconut milk beverage". They are sometimes confusingly also simply labeled as "coconut milk", though they are not the same product as coconut milk used for cooking. Milk substitutes from coconut are basically coconut milk diluted with water or coconut skim milk with additives. They contain less fat and fewer calories than milk, but also has less proteins. They contain high amounts of potassium and are good sources of fiber and iron. They are also commonly fortified with vitamin D and calcium.Filled milk
Coconut milk are also used widely for filled milk products. They are blended with dairy milk for their vegetable oils and proteins which act as substitutes for expensive butterfat in some processed milk products. They include low fat filled milk, evaporated reconstituted milk, and sweetened condensed milk.Cheese and custard production
Coconut milk can also be used in cheese and custard production, substituting at most 50% of dairy milk without lowering the overall quality of the products. By mixing skim milk with coconut milk, one procedure develops cheeses- including a garlic-spiced soft cheese called queso de ajo, a Gouda cheese substitute, and a Roquefort substitute called "Niyoblue".Soy milk enrichment
Coconut milk can be used to enrich the fat content of soy milk, improving its texture and taste to be closer to that of real milk. Coconut cream can also be added to soy milk in the production of tofu to enrich its caloric density without affecting its palatability.Cream of coconut
Cream of coconut is a thick, heavily sweetened, processed coconut milk product resembling condensed milk. It is originally produced by the Puerto Rican company Coco López and is used most notably in piña coladas in the United States. It can also be used for other cocktail drinks and various desserts. It should not be confused with or used as a substitute for coconut cream.Cuisine
Coconut milk derivatives
In the Philippines, coconut milk can also be further processed into coconut caramel and coconut curds, both known as latik. The coconut caramel version of latik made from a reduction of muscovado sugar and coconut milk has been developed into a commercial product marketed as coconut syrup., made with coconut milk, sugar, and eggs
A similar product found throughout Southeast Asia is coconut jam. It is known as matamís sa báo in the Philippines and uses only coconut milk and sugar. However, the coconut jam versions from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore ; Thailand ; Cambodia ; and Vietnam, add eggs in addition to sugar. The latter versions are sometimes anglicized as "coconut custard" to distinguish them from the version without eggs. Coconut jam and coconut custard have a thicker jam-like consistency and are used as ingredients or fillings in various traditional desserts.
Food
Coconut milk can be 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.Southeast Asia
In Indonesia, coconut milk is used in various recipes ranging from savoury dishes – such as rendang, soto, gulai, mie celor, sayur lodeh, gudeg, and opor ayam – to sweet desserts – such as serabi, es cendol and es doger. Soto is ubiquitous in Indonesia and considered as one of Indonesia's national dishes. It is also used in coconut rice, a widespread Southeast Asian dish of rice cooked in coconut milk which include the nasi lemak of Malaysia and the nasi uduk of Indonesia.In the Philippines, the very diverse class of dishes cooked in coconut milk are collectively known as ginataan. They can range from savory to dessert dishes. Coconut milk is also widely used to make traditional Filipino kakanin, including bibingka and biko, among others.
In Thailand, coconut milk is often incorporated into soup dishes such as "Tom kha kai" and "Tom yum".
Latin America and the Caribbean
In Brazil, coconut milk is mostly used in northeastern cuisine, generally with seafood stews and desserts. In Venezuela, pulp dishes are prepared with coconut milk and shredded fish in a dish called mojito en coco. In Colombia and Panama, the grated flesh of coconut and coconut milk are used to make sweet titoté.Coconut milk is used to make traditional Venezuelan dishes such as majarete, and arroz con coco.
Drink
In Southeast Asia, coconut milk is used to make many traditional drinks. Cendol is a popular iced drink from this region containing chilled coconut milk and green jellies made of rice flour. Coconut milk is also used in hot drinks such as bandrek and bajigur, two popular drinks from Indonesia. Sweetened coconut milk, and coconut milk diluted with water are two popular coconut beverages in southern China and Taiwan.The jelly-like pulp from the inside of the coconut is often added to coconut water to make a tropical drink. In Brazil, for example, coconut milk is mixed with sugar and cachaça to make a cocktail called Cocktails with cachaça#Batida. Puerto Rico is also popular for tropical drinks containing coconut, such as piña colada and coquito, which typically contain coconut milk or coconut cream.