Coconut Confusion

Thankfully (and finally!) coconut is getting the recognition and appreciation it deserves. I've been a huge fan ever since I attended the Natural Gourmet Institute.  Not only do I use its oil to cook and bake with, but it serves as my face/body/hair moisturizer. I recently posted this pic on instagram and have had a few people ask me what coconut cream is. There are many variations of coconut so I thought it was time to clear things up and crack this little nut (Pun intended. I like puns.)

1. Coconut Oil: The mother. The holy grail. The most popular mask the coconut wears. Its uses are vast and versatile. Sauté with it, use it as an alternative to vegetable oil and butter in baking and as a delicious addition to smoothies. A dollop in your morning cup of coffee enhances flavor and provides an energy boost.
2. Coconut Milk: When you squeeze a cow's nipples, you get milk.  When you squeeze coconut meat, you get milk. The extraction process is a little more complicated than that, but I love the visual comparison to make my point.  We are the only species that cultivates and drinks another animal's breast milk and continues to do so after infancy. Think about it...then get totally creeped out. It's creepy, it really is. Coconut milk is perfect for curries, soups, and baked goods.
3. Coconut Cream: You can buy a can of coconut cream or separate out the creamy part of a can of coconut milk and keep the water for other uses (i.e. don't mix the can). In the picture I was asked about, I simply spooned the cream I strained out of a can of coconut milk over ripe strawberries and topped with slivered almonds. I also beat it and folded it into my banana almond butter pudding as "whipped cream".
4. Coconut Manna (also called coconut butter): When you purée shredded coconut, the coconut oil and coconut meat mix together and turn into manna.  I like to call this dessert. Its texture is amazing and the taste is deceptively sinful. I mix it with a little almond butter, drizzle of honey, some dried cranberries for texture, and a healthy pinch of kosher salt and raw cacao...if I close my eyes, I am eating my own personally tweaked Almond Joy bar. 
5. Coconut Water: Nature's Gatorade. The clear liquid in the fruit's cavity. Great post-bikram electrolyte replenisher. Not a huge fan.

The more you know! Get crackin'.

---