Coconut milk – a traditional recipe, nutritious composition, and versatile applications in culinary and beyond
Alicja Kowalska
2026-03-20
4 min. read
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Within the culinary traditions of Thailand and India—regions celebrated for their emphasis on health-promoting ingredients and intricate, bold flavour profiles—coconut milk serves as an indispensable foundation for countless dishes. Its velvety texture and distinctive, mildly sweet coconut essence pair seamlessly with both fiery spices in soups and curries and delicate desserts, imparting depth and balance to each creation. This opaque, viscous liquid, derived from pressing the mature flesh of coconuts, offers far more than just its signature taste; it is also a rich reservoir of essential nutrients. Explore the myriad benefits of incorporating this versatile ingredient into daily meals, as well as the culinary techniques that unlock its full gastronomic and nutritional potential.
Coconut milk
The liquid hidden inside the hard nut, contrary to mistaken belief, is not coconut milk, but a juice that resembles the plasma composition of the blood. Coconut Milk can be found in a store hidden in a metal can, which after a long period of time tends to break down into two phases: solid, in the form of cocoa fat, and liquid juice. Manufacturers often add unnecessary preservatives and sugar to make the product last longer in the packaging.
Coconut milk is the recipe
Coconut milk production is not a complicated activity. I encourage everyone to try their hand at this field! We need a barrel of fresh coconut or about 1 glass of coconuts that we get in the store (before we buy, let's just check if the barrel is not sweetened with white sugar!) and about 1 liter of water.
Coconut milk properties
In reference to the whole coconut fruit, which is high in MCT fatty acids, coconuts milk owes them an asymmetrical and dense consistency, as well as a lot of healthy fats: linoleic, stearin, lauryl and caprilic. It does not contain cholesterol, and because of its medium-length fatty acid content, it quickly reaches the liver and uses its own energy, so it will not be stored in the form of saturated fats. In addition, it has vitamin C, vitamin K and vitamin B complexes. Coconut milk contains more calcium and magnesium as a source of salt, phosphorus, and manganese.
Coconut milk use
Coconut milk has a very wide range of uses, ranging from preparing delicious meals to 100 ml, which is about as much as a healthy portion of coconut as a cosmetic product. Let's boldly replace cow's milk with milk made from cocoa beans or cocoa butter. If we make our own milk from about 1 litre of water and glasses (about 90 g) of cocoa powder, the calorie content of the product will be about 50 kcal per 100 ml. That's about the same as the hygienic portion that is also used in cosmetics.