should feel heavy and contain enough liquid
to slosh audibly. If coconut meat is pounded
in a mortar or ground finely in a blender, it
forms a thick paste consisting of microscopic
oil droplets and cell debris suspended in
water, which makes up about half the volume.
Coconut milk is made by mixing the paste
with some additional water and straining to
remove the solid particles. Left to stand for an
hour, this milk separates into a fat-rich cream
layer and a thin “skim” layer. Coconut milk
can also be made from dried shredded
coconut, and is readily available canned.
Coconut Oil For part of the 20th century,
coconut oil was the most important vegetable
oil in the world. It can be produced in large
quantities, is very stable, and has a melting
point similar to that of milk fat. But the very
quality that makes it stable and versatile also
made it appear to be nutritionally undesirable.
The fats that make up coconut oil are nearly