Geographic variations in coconut milk
My local supermarket sells numerous brands of coconut milk. Some brands, by their packaging and location on the shelf, are marketed for use in Thai cookery; other brands target Indian or Caribbean cuisines. There is a substantial difference in price between the different brands: a factor of ~5 between the most expensive (Thai) and the cheapest (Indian).
Are there any significant geographic variations in what is sold as 'coconut milk', so that I should buy the brand marketed towards the cuisine I want to make? Or can I use whichever one I consider to be most attractively-priced?
Best Answer
If you examine the ingredients on different brands of tinned coconut milk you can find percentages of coconut ranging (and I used the Tesco Supermarket website to get a sampling as they always list product ingredients) from 25% up to 72% and possibly higher. There will also be varying proportions of water, thickeners and emulsifiers such as Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carrageenan, Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Polysorbate 60 and Locust Bean Gum.
Sometimes the coconut content is described as 'coconut extract', I have no idea what that means.
Products marketed as 'Light' will typically have more water than coconut.
It is possible that in markets outside the UK there are 'better' canned products available.
I get Creamed Coconut in block form, which is 100% coconut and can be grated into the dish as required, where you can add such liquid as you choose and the gratings melt into it as it heats. You can also get this in sachets if a whole block seems like it would be more than you need.
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Where did coconut milk originate from?
History. Coconuts originated in Southeast Asia and in islands off of the Indian subcontinent. Portuguese traders brought the coconuts grown in the Indian Ocean to the west coast of Africa and then to the Caribbean and Brazil as they colonized the Americas.How do you filter extracting coconut milk?
How to Make Coconut MilkHow can we separate coconut milk from its grated coconut meat after you squeeze it through_______?
Wrap the grated or processed meat in a muslin cloth or cheesecloth. Squeeze out the milk over a bowl. Reserve the grated meat and set aside. Strain the extracted milk through a sieve.How do you separate the coconut meat and coconut milk?
Crack open your coconut and scrape out the meat. In a blender, take about half your meat and roughly 1 1/2 cups of hot water (more or less depending on your desired thickness), and process. Repeat step 3 with the other half of the meat. Place a few layers of cheesecloth over a bowl and strain the milk through.How is Coconut Milk Made? - From Farm to Cans! Mini Documentary
More answers regarding geographic variations in coconut milk
Answer 2
Coconuts don't vary that much around the world, so coconut milk is pretty much the same no matter the source country. I have tried coconut milk from many places and prices and I've never found a difference in flavor that would justify a difference in price. The main difference I've found is generally in the ratio of cream to coconut water, the cream on the top is what makes a dish rich and luscious (it also make a great vegan whipped cream substitute) so more is generally better. The other differences seem to be brand and the section of the supermarket it's found in.
I've generally found that the expensive high priced premier brands like Amoy or Blue Dragon have the least amount of cream, so they are the absolute last ones I would buy. The ones from the Indian section are better but the best overall from a cream content are from the Caribbean section. I've found this to be the case in both the UK and the USA. If there's an Asian supermarket near you it's worth a trip there to stock up as well as they'll have many varieties and their prices are very good.
Depending on where you are your mileage may vary, it's worth buying a can from each section to compare. If you let them sit undisturbed for a couple of days the cream will separate and float to the top, you can then see how much cream each has.
Answer 3
At least where I live (Florida), every brand of coconut milk seems to come from Thailand. Sure, they are marketed as Hispanic, West Indian, or various Asian brands, including Thai, but if you look in the can, it says "Product of Thailand". One brand that I've found to be a good value is Grace from Jamaica, but again, while the brand is Jamaican, the product is Thai.
Answer 4
What will affect the most your recipe is not the geographic origin. Rather it is the fat content. Personally, I look at total percentage of fats, first. Then starting with the highest fat option, I verify that the ingredients are legit. Coconut: pass, other additives: fail.
Basically, you want to maximize the fat from coconut origin. The cheap (and some high-end ones too) products will typically have more water. If you need water in your recipe, take it from the tap :-).
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