Coconut Water (Asceptic/Tetra Pak)

[natasha1270]

So I guess this coconut water thing is here to stay?

Aside from fresh, what are you favorite brands and packaging style? It seems like its a pretty close battle at the top between Zico & Vita Coco. I happen to be partial to Vita Coco but Zico is a very, very close second (maybe first if going on taste alone). Vita Coco has Vitamin C added which maybe be why I find it more refreshing than Zico. I think they are both produced in Philippines.

I’ve only tried the tetra pak versions and am told by a friend that they taste better than the bottled versions anyway so I haven't bothered to verify. I don’t care for the flavored versions (acai, pineapple, etc).

The O.N.E & Naked brand coconut waters don’t really taste as nice and I would avoid those.

Anyone else enjoying a daily coconut water? What other brands are out there?

[Jenni]

I didn't know there was a "thing", but speaking as someone who loves fresh coconut water, maybe I should look out...

I'm guessing they're very expensive though?

[Darienne]

I didn't know there was a "thing", but speaking as someone who loves fresh coconut water, maybe I should look out...

I'm guessing they're very expensive though?

Ditto for me. I'll ask our local Asian market.

[heidih]

Here in Southern California there are displays in all the main line grocery stores. Another health fad I guess. I was offered some a while ago and was not impressed - perhaps spoiled by the fresh stuff. I think the one I tried was the Naked so perhaps that was the factor as the first post was not fond of that brand.

[natasha1270]

I have seen them around for quite a while and was surprised not to find anything on eG. At whole foods, I believe a single pak cost around $1.50-$2.

Afaik few years back they were really popularized in health/sports circles as 'nature's sport drink' due to low calories and high potassium benefits. I figured since you can get it in bulk at Costco it has been sufficiently mainstreamed.

edit: spelling

Edited March 4, 2011 by natasha1270 (log)

[barbarataylor]

Don't you prefer a real coconut juice instead of coconut water?

[Jenni]

I tried a small pack of this last week, vita coco brand (the plain one, not any of the fruity ones). I thought it was rather expensive but ok tasting. Wouldn't go out of my way to get it again though, mostly because of the price. However, I would bear it in mind for times of sickness, as coconut water is very good for rehydrating and gently nourishing.

[prasantrin]

There's nothing new about coconut water, except maybe the tetra-pak-ing. We've been drinking it for decades, purchased from Chinese grocery stores.

The only coconut water worth drinking, in my opinion, is the frozen kind. Rooster/Cock brand is a very common brand. It comes with chunks of young coconut flesh and a little pronged stick with which to eat that flesh (plus a straw to drink the water). It's a refreshing drink during summer when you can drink it half-frozen like a slushy.

Some of the canned ones are OK, too, but the frozen ones are best.

[Jenni]

There's nothing new about coconut water, except maybe the tetra-pak-ing. We've been drinking it for decades, purchased from Chinese grocery stores.

Yeah, but it used to be mostly canned and the canned stuff isn't all that great at all, IMO. Plus they are often sweetened, and it's just not the same as the fresh. The tetra pak ones seem much better, though like I say they are pricey.

Incidentally, I always find that the chunks of coconut in the packaged versions are much harder and less tasty than the wonderful gelatinous flesh you get in a proper fresh coconut. Ok, so it's a given that it wouldn't be as good, but I just thought I'd mention it.

[natasha1270]

The tetra pak are the closest to the real thing I have tasted. Obviously, straight from the source would be optimal but I wouldn't want to pack a coconut in my lunch box or gym bag for a post-workout refreshment.

re: frozen. I like the frozen juices as well but the few varieties I have available here also contain sugar (in my freezer I have one that lists 8% sugar) and in some cases artificial flavoring. These asceptic packages list only coconut water or coconut water/vitamin c in the case of vita coco.

[jsmeeker]

I saw this for the fist time earlier this week at Central Market in Plano, TX. (Central Market is a chain of "fancy" grocery stores in Texas). I wasn't sure what it was all about. Is this water just for drinking? Like you carry around this instead of your Fiji or Evian or whatever? Or does it have some specific culinary use?

[Jenni]

^^^

It's a refreshing cool drink, very good for quenching thirst and replacing electrolytes lost in hot sweaty weather!

[jsmeeker]

Interesting.

We have lots of hot sweaty weather in Texas. Maybe it will be a big hit here!

[Jenni]

^^^

If you ever have the opportunity (probably somewhere in South or South East Asia or the Caribbean), try sipping coconut water straight from a young coconut. The trick is to slurp the juice out with a straw and then hack off a bit of the edge of the coconut to form a sort of spoon, and use it to scoop out the sweetish, gelatinous flesh inside....heaven!

[jsmeeker]

I wasn't in South Florida or the Caribbean today, but I was in Whole Foods in suburban Dallas, and I bought this

They had tons of this stuff. Big packages. Small ones like this. In bottles with different flavors. Then there were other brands. But this Zico brand seems the most common around here. I have not tried it yet. It's chilling in the fridge. Maybe I will try it when I get home from work tomorrow.

[Dr. Spice]

I've only ever had the Naked brand coconut water, and thought it was... well... BLEEECHHHHHHH. I used to get coconuts as a little girl and my favorite part was getting to drink the water- I just thought that was the neatest and most exotic thing! So perhaps I'm very spoiled for fresh. I will try and find some other brands, though, since it seems the Naked brand is bottom of the barrel for taste.

[jsmeeker]

Just got around to drinking this earlier tonight.

It was interesting. Didn't taste like coconut as I expected. really, it tasted kinda "salty" Sorta kinda "of the sea". I've never had real FRESH coconut water directly out of a coconut, so I don't know what this stuff really tastes like.