Coconut cream

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coconut cream is an infusion of shredded coconut and water. Coconut cream may also be made with milk instead of water to obtain a richer product.

Coconut cream is very similar to coconut milk but contains less water. The difference is mainly consistency. It has a thicker, more paste-like consistency, while coconut milk is generally a liquid.

Creamed coconut is not the same as coconut cream. Creamed coconut is a very concentrated coconut extract without the water. Like coconut oil, it is hard at a low room temperature. It is basically coconut cream concentrate, and can be made into coconut cream by mixing it with water, or into coconut milk by mixing it with a larger amount of water. It is typically sold as a 200ml block in a plastic bag inside a small box. In the UK it is widely and cheaply available (from £0.30 to £1.00 per 200ml block) in Asian convenience stores and in the Asian sections of large supermarkets.

Coconut cream can be made by simmering 1 part shredded coconut with one part water or milk until frothy, then straining the mixture through a cheesecloth, squeezing out as much liquid as possible; this is coconut milk. The coconut milk is refrigerated and allowed to set. Coconut cream is the thick non-liquid part that separates and rises to the top of the coconut milk.

Coconut cream is high in healthy medium chain fatty acids and is very rich in flavor.

Coconut cream is used in Piña Coladas, and its nonalcoholic variant Virgin Piña Coladas, and Bangladeshi cooks often add coconut cream to rice to give it some flavor.