Coconut Milk / Coco Milk:
Coconut milk is the liquid that comes from the grated meat of a mature coconut. It should not be confused with coconut water. The color and rich taste of coconut milk are attributed to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat.
Traditionally, coconut milk is acquired through the grating of the white inner flesh of a brown coconut, and mixing the resulting substance with a small amount of water to suspend the fat present in the grated meat. The grating process itself can be carried out manually or with a more modern grating machine through a process called comminution. Several grades of coconut milk exist: from 'thick' at 20-22% fat to 'thin' at 5-7%. Thick milk is prepared by directly squeezing grated coconut meat through cheesecloth. The squeezed coconut meat is then soaked in water and squeezed further to produce thin coconut milk. Thick milk containing soluble, suspended solids is mainly used to make desserts, as well as rich and dry sauces. Thin milk is used for soups and general cooking.
