I need coconut cream but not creamed coconut?!
I need coconut cream but not creamed coconut?
My recipes call for coconut milk and coconut cream. Finding the milk is no problem, but the only tins of 'coconut cream' are really 'creamed coconut' which is nothing but a load of sickly pina colada mix full of added sugars and other rubbish.
So what is natural coconut cream and why can't I find it in any of the large supermarkets? I live in the New York suburbs, I can find every other Thai ingredient (except Thai Basil - not in season yet), but NOOOO cream!
It's plain daft!
Answers:
Coconut cream
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 Pi?a Coladas, and its nonalcoholic variant Virgin Pi?a Coladas, and Bangladeshi cooks often add coconut cream to rice to give it some flavor.
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is a sweet, milky white cooking base derived from the meat of a mature coconut. The color and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content and sugars. The term "coconut milk" can also refer to the watery liquid found inside the nut. This liquid, when found in a young coconut, is more unambiguously referred to as "coconut water" or "coconut juice". In Malaysia and Indonesia coconut milk is called santan and in the Philippines it is called gata.
Hope this helps! =)
Try looking for coconut cream at the Asian store. I'm Asian and when we cook with coconut milk it's either thick or thin so i am guessing coconut cream is undiluted coconut milk or pure milk. If the ingredients in your coconut milk lists water then I am almost sure coconut cream is undiluted coconut milk from the first pressing.
JGG has answered this question to a T.
Asian markets usually carry canned coconut milk and cream.