Love it or hate it, most of us have grown up with the sweet, nutty crunch of coconut in desserts. From coconut cream pie and coconut macaroons to chocolate confections and toasted coconut on sundaes, we’re most familiar with the flaky meat from the fruit of the tropical coconut palm.
But the coconut palm is a versatile plant and every part of it has a use.
Coconut water versus milk
Coconut water is the clear liquid inside young green coconuts, whereas coconut milk is the liquid that comes from the grated meat of a more mature, brown coconut.
Serve coconut water cold and fresh in a tall glass to beat the heat. Freeze coconut water for a frozen summer treat; add milk to popular beverages like smoothies and pina coladas. On the savoury side, coconut water can be added to broths for soups and coconut milk can balance the spices found in dishes like curry.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is delicious in baked goods, pastries, popcorn and stir fry recipes. Because the oil is extracted from coconut meat, it has that familiar nutty flavour. It can be found in liquid or solid form, and it can be substituted in equal measure for virtually any oil. You can melt solid coconut oil to a liquid form for recipes calling for melting butter or oil; make sure other ingredients are at room temperature so the oil doesn’t solidify again. Liquid coconut oil is great for salad dressings and dips.
Many blogs also tout the benefits of coconut oil around the home, to moisturize skin and polish wood furniture, for example.
Coconut flour
Coconut flour is produced from the meat of the coconut. It is a gluten-free option that can be used in baking or as a coating for meat, fish or vegetables. However, it is best to follow specific recipes when baking as it can’t be used in equal measure to wheat flour. Coconut flour is dense and extremely absorbent, which means less flour is needed in recipes with a correlating increase in liquid requirements.
Coconut sugar
Produced from the sap from the coconut palm’s flower buds and boiled down to syrup, coconut sugar tastes more like brown sugar and caramel than coconut itself. Add coconut sugar to your coffee or tea, add to cupcakes and muffins or morning oatmeal. You can replace white or brown sugar with an equal measure of coconut sugar, however it is coarser and may affect the texture in baking, so you may want to use half coconut sugar and half white or brown sugar on first substitution in a recipe.
Health benefits
Coconut flour has a significant amount of fibre, five grams per two tablespoons, compared to wheat flour’s 3.4 grams per cup. While the glycemic index is lower for coconut sugar than refined white sugar, there is little distinguishable health benefit and it should still be treated accordingly as part of your diet.
Coconut has a distinct scent and taste that reminds us of warm, exotic locales. Expand your food experiences and add greater depth to your beverages or meals with coconut.