Coconut Milk

Think coconut milk is bad for you? Think again. Here's the skinny on coconut milk.

Indeed, it's high in saturated fat, but a number of independent studies have shown that its saturated fat is a good one. It isn't hydrogenated (not a trans fatty acid) and the chief fatty acid, lauric acid, is easily metabolized, which means it doesn't hang ar ound to become bad cholesterol. A fatty acid that has been found to be antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial, lauric acid is also abundant in mother's milk. Most importantly, coconut milk is the backbone of many cuisines around the world. For generations, people have led healthy lives with foods enriched by coconut milk. There's no reason why you can't either, so long as it's as part of a balanced diet. Go ahead and live a little!

In the Vietnamese repertoire, coconut milk is associated with southern cooking because that's where coconut palms flourish; the geography and weather of the central and northern regions are not great for coconuts. Coconut milk is indispensable for southern Viet treats like Indian-style curries, sweet soup snacks called che, and banh xeo sizzling crepes.

In Vietnam, coconut milk is mostly freshly made. (There are grocery stores opening up and so there's bound to be canned coconut milk too!) To prepare fresh coconut milk, brown, mature (hairy!) coconuts are used -- not the green, young coconuts whose clear liquid is sipped through a straw for a refreshing drink. The coconut is cracked open, drained of its water (which is fine to drink as long as it hasn't fermented), and then the white meat is grated using a sharp serrated metal blade or a wood stool that has the blade attached to it. The grated meat is steeped in hot water (4:3 ratio of coconut meat to water works well) and squeezed through cloth to extract the creamy milk. The first extraction is the best, but cooks may resteep the flesh for a lesser quality, thin milk. Freshly prepared coconut milk has a wonderful subtle sweetness. Making it in the US and elsewhere where coconuts don't grow well can be hard because good coconut are difficult to find. In general, choose among the heavy small ones because they are likely to have more flesh and less water. Shake the coconut to make sure there sloshing water inside, or else the coconut is spoiled.

I don't make fresh coconut milk often and mainly rely on canned coconut milk, which is excellent. In particular, I recommend Chao Koh or Mae Ploy brands. Available at most Asian markets, both are creamy and rich. Mae Ploy is actually creamier. When you've got extra coconut milk, freeze it for another day. NEVER use insipid light coconut milk. And avoid coconut milk that contains weird emulsifiers that keep it smooth. Read labels!