Coconut Milk

… not quite as good as Almond milk, but still much better than Rice milk or Soymilk

(The Estate of Harry Nilsson should be contacted shortly by the Estate of Ernie Kovacs for ©opyright infringements.)


This is a follow-up 'blog-entry to one that I had done a while back (see 'blog-entry from August 27th, 2010).

Last summer my brother Kerry informed me of another alternative to standard (bovine) milk[1]: Coconut milk. This is another decent product for anyone that may be lactose-intolerant or a Vegan (or a Vegan-intolerant lactose person). Coconut milk is not really a new thing and has been available for many years (usually in canned form) and is a common product in many Asian cultures. It is just now being commercially produced for mass-consumption by different major brands in milk carton form in the United States. It is available in Original/plain, as well as other flavours: Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate, Nog, and Pumpkin Spice (the last three being available seasonally/for the Holidays). There are also unsweetened and low-calorie versions available with some brands. It is available in both refrigerated and shelf-stable cartons.

www.silkpurecoconut.com/

http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/products/coconut-milk-beverages

Coconut milk is not to be confused with another recent trend, that of Coconut water as an alternative to Sports rehydration[2] drinks. When these are made with 100% Coconut water (with no added sugars), they are naturally high in potassium (up to five times that of other Sports drinks), but lower in calories, while still providing some needed carbohydrates. I have been drinking these for a while now, too.

Now I am neither stupidly lactose-intolerant, nor a stupid Vegan, but it has been a few years since I last bought any standard milk. I usually alternate between Almond milk and Coconut milk most of the time now. I prefer the taste of Almond milk over Coconut milk, but it is a nice option when I feel like something different. I think that Coconut milk does have a bit stronger flavour than Almond milk. You can really taste the coconut in it, more so than you can taste the almonds in Almond milk. So if you are either allergic to or don't like the flavour of coconuts, I wouldn't suggest trying it.

Both Almond milk and Coconut milk seem to work well in the morning on cold cereals, and both are pretty good in a tall glass with a snack of cookies (the cookies can be on a plate, not necessarily in a tall glass). I really can not tell you how either performs as a substitute to real milk with baked goods, as that would entail actual baking and not something that I have ever done.

Blue Diamond® Almonds even has a hybrid model (which gets twice as much mileage to the gallon): Almond Breeze® Almond-Coconut milk. It is only available in Original/plain and Vanilla; and in both sweetened or unsweetened versions. I don't think that they offer it in a Chocolate flavour yet, but that would seem to be a natural; it would be like a liquid Almond Joy® I am sure.

http://almondbreeze.com/?navid=530

I haven't seen any yoghurt[3] products being made from Coconut milk yet. However, I do know that neither Almond milk, nor Rice milk, nor Soymilk, really makes very good yoghurt; the consistency is closer to a thick pudding than real yoghurt. I am not sure if a plain flavour would make for a good τζατζίκι or not; probably not.

One thing that Coconut milk has over Almond milk (and Rice milk and Soymilk) is that it makes a much better ice cream. Of course, the flavours are going to be very limited; Plain, Chocolate, and Pineapple are good ones.

I am neither a doctor, nor a dietician (and don't pretend to play one on the Intro-Net), but be warned: Coconut milk is higher in calories than regular milk. This is due in part because coconut milk contains coconut oil and has high levels of saturated fats.

One good thing, though, sister, I don't think they offer a Lime-Coconut flavoured milk yet.


Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Coconut milk ~ 7.0; Almond milk ~ 7.2


1. Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, number one:

The English word "milk" is similar in several other languages, Mr. Cabrera:

Dutch and Norwegian ~ "melk"; German ~ "Milch"; Swedish ~ "mjölk"; Icelandic ~ "mjólk"; Danish ~ "mælk"; Russkij and Ukrainian ~ "молоко"; Belarusian ~ "малако"; Bulgarian ~ "мляко"; Polish ~ "mleko"; Czech ~ "mléko"; Slovak ~ "mlieko"; Serbian ~ "млеко"; and Croatian ~ "mlijeko".

You can feel free to look up "coconut" in other languages on your own, though.

2. The Spell-Check Nazis at Microsoft® do not seem to recognize this word; however, it is a valid word, at least according to Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language and American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. So there, Billy-boy! It only makes sense that if there is "dehydration" there should be "rehydration", nu?

3. Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, iki numaralı:
 
"Yoghurt" (or "yogurt", or "yoghourt"; take your pick, they are all accepted spellings ~ and the stupid Spell-Check Nazis at Microsoft® don't seem to have a problem with any of them it seems) is from the Turkish word "yoğurt" and is related to the obsolete verb "yoğmak", meaning "to be curdled or coagulated; to thicken".