Creamed Coconut

[nan]

I'm posting this for my mother - she's the one looking for this stuff. She has a soup cookbook that calls for blocks of creamed coconut for a number of the recipes. We've searched the grocery stores and Whole Foods Market with no luck. I haven't seen the recipe myself, but it sounds like it just calls for some shavings off the block then melt it down with broth. Can we substitute coconut milk for this? Or any other suggestions on substitutions. Also, if anyone knows of an online source (I can only find UK sources) for this, I'd greatly appreciate it.

thanks!

[nakji]

One of my cooking reference books suggests that you can make coconut milk by dissolving 2 oz of creamed coconut into a scant half cup of hot water. I guess you could reverse engineer that, by reducing the amount of broth accordingly.

Hope that helps.

[merrybaker]

When I visited my son in London last year, I dragged everyone around looking for creamed coconut that I needed for British/Indian recipes. I finally found it in a Thai store, and brought home several packages. It's neat stuff. The taste is like that of good quality coconut milk, but the texture is like pure fat! You can use a little without opening a whole can of coconut milk. The funny part is that I've since found it in my local Indian grocery store.

So if your mom has an Indian or Thai grocer nearby, she should check there if she hasn't already. Otherwise, I'm sure Nakji's idea would work fine.

[nan]

Thanks nakji and merrybaker! I think there is an Indian grocery store nearby, maybe I'll check that out. Otherwise, we'll play with nakji's reverse-engineering idea.

[Meridian]

I happened upon a macaroon recipe that required Creamed Coconut. This is distinct from coconut milk which is runny. This is in a solid block, which, depending on it's use, you may thin with water. I found it in a grocery store. Look in the drink mix section. You may get lucky.

[pounce]

Look for Coco Goya Cream of Coconut in the Mexican food section of your store. That's where I get mine. Party or liquor stores may also have it as you can make a pretty good Piña Colada with it.

[phaelon56]

The little blocks of coconut - about the size of a bar of soap - are available in my town in the larger Spanish markets. Shave off a few spponfuls, steep in hot water to make the coconut milk and then strain out the shavings. Great for making Caribbean style rice and so much less waste (at least for me) than using the canned stuff. Cheaper too.

[nan]

Thanks for the tips - I think we'll try one of the local indian grocery stores. I have a co-worker who is checking with a friend who uses it to see where she gets it.

It's a good excuse to find out where all the ethnic markets are in town.

thanks again!

[Sugarshoc]

If you know where your local West Indian/Caribbean market is, you will find plenty of creamed coconut boxes there also.