Coconut milk

Coconut milk is a plant milk extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of the milky-white liquid are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingredient used in Southeast Asia, Oceania, South Asia, and East Africa. It is also used for cooking in the Caribbean, Central America, northern parts of South America and West Africa, where coconuts were introduced during the colonial era. Coconut milk is differentiated into subtypes based on fat content. They can be generalized into coconut cream (or thick coconut milk) with the highest amount of fat; coconut milk (or thin coconut milk) with a maximum of around 20% fat; and coconut skim milk with negligible amounts of fat. Coconut cream can be dehydrated as coconut milk powder, with a far longer shelf life. This terminology is not always followed in commercial coconut milk sold in Western countries. Coconut milk can also be used to produce milk substitutes (sometimes differentiated as "coconut milk beverages"); these products are meant for drinking, not cooking. A sweetened, processed, coconut milk product from Puerto Rico is also known as cream of coconut, but is distinct from coconut cream and is not interchangeable. It is used in many desserts and beverages like the piña colada.