The Scoop on Coconut Milk

"Coconut milk is not the juice found inside a coconut, but the diluted cream pressed out from the thick, white flesh of a well-matured coconut.

To make coconut milk, finely grated coconut meat is steeped in hot water until it is cool enough to handle.  It is then squeezed until dry; the white fluid is strained to remove all the pulp.  After sitting for awhile, the coconut cream rises to the top.  Commercially, coconut cream is obtained by pressing grated coconut flesh by itself without water, using special machines.

Good brands of coconut milk, will have thick cream floating on top, while the milk on the bottom will be much more watery.  The cream usually coagulates in cool wather, or when refrigerated.  Brands with milk that looks homogenized tend to have an artificial taste beause of additives introduced to make the cream homogenize or excess processing which changes the nature of the cream.

If you are concerened about the saturated fat content in coconut milk, consider that in many indepenedent studies it was shown to be a good saturated fat, easily metabolized to give the body quick energy.  It does not transform into bad cholestorol.  Many cultures around the world depend on coconut as thair main source of fat have been found to be free of heart disease .  The principle fatty acid in coconut milk is lauric acid, which is the same fat found in abundance in mother's milk and is know to promote normal brain development and contribute to healty bones.  It also has important anti-carcinogenic and antipathogenic properties and is less likely to cause weight gain then polyunsaturated oils

It has potent anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-microbial qualities and is used in the treatment of many diseases.

Coconut imilk it the bsae of most Thai curries.  Contrary to western idesas of working with cream, to make the curry sauce, coconut cream is first reduced over faily high heat to break it down and allow the oil to separate.  Curry paste is then added and fried in the coconut oil until all the herb and spice flavors are released.  It is then blended and the rest of the coconut milk is added to make the sauce.  Finished Thai curries will have a thin layer of oil floating on top of the sauce.  This oil picks up the color of the curries...bright red for red curry, glistening green for green curry, and so on, giving them a lovely appearance rather than a dull, whitish sameness.  The color serves as a reminder of their true nature- spicy hot for red and green chillies, and not creamy and bland."

Meiling Dawson