Are you cuckoo for coconut?

Coconut can be a divisive ingredient – maybe not as much as cilantro/coriander, but polarizing nonetheless. As someone who adores coconut, I don’t mind the haters. It just means there is more of that rich, coconutty goodness for me. One of the great things about this tropical plant is its versatility. You can use it in savory or sweet applications, it can add crunch and chew to the texture of a dish or be silky smooth, and it is used across a wide variety of cuisines. Food & Wine recently extolled the virtues of coconut with a guide to cooking with its various components.

Although we generally think of the hairy nut (which isn’t technically a nut but is a drupe, which is a type of fruit) when we think of coconut, nearly the whole plant can be used. “Hearts of palm can be harvested from young coconut-tree buds, and the tree’s sap is used to make vinegar, palm wine, and sugar,” notes the article, which also tackles a subject that can be confusing: the difference between coconut milk and coconut cream. Just as with dairy products, the amount of fat accounts for the difference in the two products. Coconut cream is made from the first press of the coconut, using very little water to process it. Coconut milk is made from subsequent pressings, and water is used to extract the essence, making that product lighter in texture. The article also reminds us that coconut cream and cream of coconut are two very different products.

Explanations of how to use other parts of coconut follow, including coconut oil (both unrefined and refined), coconut water, coconut sugar, coconut flour, coconut vinegar, and of course shredded or flaked coconut. One thing the article doesn’t delve into is the fact that shredded coconut can be sweetened or unsweetened and that there are many different sizes to choose from, ranging from fine desiccated coconut to large, flat flakes or curls. As a coconut fanatic, I keep almost every kind on hand for use in baking and cooking, everything from macaroons to curries to soups to cakes. I guess I’m cuckoo for coconut (to echo the slogan from a breakfast cereal mascot). How about you?