Creamed Coconut
By: Helen Pitlick

About

Not to be confused with cream of coconut (sweetened syrup commonly used in making piña coladas), creamed coconut is a block of coconut meat that resembles a brick of shortening. Chop or grate creamed coconut and add to sauces. Look for it in on the shelves of ethnic specialty markets.

Information
Other names: Coconut Cream
Translations: Kokosriekstu krēms, Kokoso kremas, Crema de nucă de cocos, Creamed kokos, Creamed dừa, Zarezerwowane Coconut, Afgeroomd Coconut, नारियल क्रीमयुक्त, Creme de coco, Creamed Καρύδα, مدهون جوز الهند, 숟가락 코코넛, Krémový kokosový ořech, Надрљати кокос, 椰子奶油, Crema de coco, Creamed Kokos, Krémový kokosový orech, Crema di noce di cocco, ומוקרמים קוקוס, Krim Kelapa, クリームココナッツ, Crème de noix de coco, Kokoscreme, Skumme Coconut, Kremet Coconut, Crema de coco, Kuori Coconut, Обирани кокосови


Physical Description
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. Coconut cream is used as an ingredient  in cooking, having a mild non-sweet taste.
Colors: white


Tasting Notes
Flavors: Creamed Coconut or known as Coconut Concentrate is the unsweetened dehydrated fresh meat of a mature fruit of coconut ground to a semi-solid white creamy paste. Creamed Coconut is suitable for consumption without the need for further processing. Please do not confuse between Creamed Coconut and Coconut Cream. Coconut Cream has maximum moisture content of 74.6% whereas Creamed Coconut has moisture content of 3% maximum, hence the name Coconut Concentrate. Creamed coconut (Coconut Concentrate) is creamy white colour and tastes rich, creamy and mildly sweet with the essence of coconut.
Food complements: Creamed coconut can be used as ingredient for food and beverages that require coconut flavor. such as sauces, Soups, Curries, Ready meals, Tropical/caribbean applications (tropical colada and coconut drinks), Filling for chocolate confectionery, Biscuit, Cake, Toppings, Desserts, Also other uses for natural cosmetic manufacturers. creamed coconut tastes good eaten as it is. suggestions for direct consumption are bread spreading and sauce dipping.
Substitutes: Desiccated coconut


Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Peak: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Choosing: 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.
Buying: You can find all in the supermarket in the international or Asian aisle......


Preparation and Use
Creamed Coconut can be used as ingredient for food and beverages that require coconut flavor. Such as sauces, soups, curries, ready meals, tropical/Caribbean applications (tropical colada and coconut drinks), filling for chocolate confectionery, biscuit, cake, toppings, desserts, also other uses for natural cosmetic manufacturers. Creamed Coconut tastes good eaten as it is. Suggestions for direct consumption are bread spreading and sauce dipping.


Conserving and Storing
Shelf life for Creamed Coconut is 18 months. Creamed Coconut is ambient stable. It is solid as butter at temperature below 23 deg. C. Creamed Coconut melts at temperature exceeding 23 deg. C. This is reversible and should not affect the organoleptic quality. 


Social/Political

History: The origin of Coconuts is much disputed to this day. We know the plant flourishes best on coastlines,  and a more recent theory is that it originated in the East Pacific (Polynesia),  but coconuts float extremely well due to their structure -  a very thick and light shell which protects the seed from salt water (a killer to most other seeds) and an internal cavity adding to its buoyancy. 
Add the fact that the embryo remains vital for up to 8 months in cool sea water,  plus natural occurrences such as storms, tidal waves, volcanic eruptions etc.,  and it's easy to see how they could have travelled to/from almost anywhere with a warm climate at any time in history.
Indeed, palms were widely grown and used on the western coast of Central America by the time Columbus got there and the Sallier Papyrus states that a species of coconut palm existed in Egypt in the 14th century BC !  Today palms are found growing in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Australasia.  It's just a mystery waiting to be solved.