Coconuts in China

Posted on October 26, 2011 by admin

Changing diet in China

China is not thought of as being a country that has coconuts. Traditional Chinese cooking does not use coconut oil; rather it uses pork fat. It is interesting to note that the Chinese are normally a very slim race even though their diet is high in saturated fat. As coconutoilbenefits.biz has noted several times it is not saturated fat that is bad for you. Much worse is trans fat and polyunsaturated fat with long chain fatty acids. And indeed since McDonald’s, margarine and other ‘Western’ products were introduced into the diets of urban Chinese the obesity rates have shot up.

Hainan Island

The People’s Republic of China is a vast country and in its southern reaches it does possess some tropical areas. The most famous of which is the island of Hainan Island. It is a beautiful island with white sand beaches, mangrove swamps and pristine nature. The area now has a nascent tourist industry that offers beach bungalows very similar to those found in Thailand. Hainan is also famous in China for being the center of coconut production. This is where you will find coconuts in China.

Coconut yield in China and Coconuts in Chinese Culture

According to the website www.data.mongabay.com since 1985 China has been recording the number of coconuts it commercially grows. The latest statistic is for 2009. In that year China produced 109,406 coconuts. This is small fry compared 19,500,000 tonnes of coconuts produced in the Philippines (Wikipedia). Nevertheless, the coconuts in China crop is far from negligible. Moreover, the coconut does have a place in Chinese culture. The famous poet from the Song Dynasty, Su Dong Po spent some of his time in Hainan and made several fond references to coconuts in his poems. He particularly enjoyed the taste of coconut milk, saying it was better than wine.

The local people of Hainan have been cooking with coconut oil, drinking coconut water and using coconut milk for centuries. They have also made a living from supplying the mainland with coconut shells which are used to make the traditional musical instruments the yehu and the banhu.

Future of coconuts in China

As China participates more in world trade and world affairs and as its citizens travel to more places it is clear that the coconut will become more important to the Chinese as an antidote to the inevitable damage that will be done by a change in traditional diet. Already obesity, diabetes and heart disease rates in China have risen. The one child policy has lead to spoiling kids and giving them a taste for the worst types of fat. It can only be hoped that they start to counteract this pernicious dietary trend with more coconut oil.

Posted in Coconut information | Tagged changing diet in China, coconut and Chinese culture, coconuts in China, dangers of polyunsaturated fats, Hainan | Leave a comment

Coconut Bread

Posted on October 9, 2011 by admin

Coconut flour is 100% free of the gluten protein and is thus perfect for people who have gluten intolerance and for people who have celiac disease. The only cure for celiac or coeliac disease is to stop eating foods containing the gluten protein. This means giving up wheat flour, barley and rye.

This can be inconvenient as it means learning new recipes with alternatives to wheat, barley and rye. Below is the recipe for making coconut bread. With a little practice this recipe can make delicious bread.

Coconut flour has a spongy, dense texture. It is flour that soaks up a lot of moisture and so a little bit of coconut flour goes a long way. Coconut flour is often used in conjunction with eggs and a fat. This fat could be butter, ghee or, of course, coconut oil. It is the firm belief of this website that so called healthy polyunsaturated fats are in fact very unhealthy as they contain trans fat and the wrong type of fatty acids.

Coconut Bread

The following recipe makes bread that only very slightly tastes of coconut (more so if you use coconut oil). The bread produced is slightly heavy. It could be used to make sandwiches but might be better suited to French toast or as a morning bread to go with jam.

Equipment needed to make coconut bread

You will need something to mix the dough –stand mixer, food processor or mixing bowl and whisk. You will also need a loaf pan.

Ingredients for making coconut bread

3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup ghee / butter / coconut oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
6 eggs
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt

Method for making coconut bread

To make coconut bread first pre-heat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, put all the ingredients together – the coconut flour, the fat, eggs, honey and salt. Then mix all the ingredients together as you would do when you are making bread with wheat flour. You can either use a whisk and mixing bowl, stand mixer or a food processor. The better the ingredients are mixed the lighter the bread. The mixture is ready when the mixture is smooth with no lumps.

Finally grease a loaf pan and add the mixture to the pan and put the loaf pan in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 40 minutes and then you have one loaf of coconut bread. Easy!

Coconut bread: final note

As you will have noticed this is bread that is made without yeast. Thus it is not light, fluffy bread. Also coconut bread requires lots of eggs, as mentioned before the coconut flour is very absorbent. This makes coconut bread a rich and heavy food. It is also worth mentioning that coconut flour is high in dietary fiber. For most people this is a good thing which promotes better digestion, for others it can cause gas and bloating.

Click here to find the best price for coconut flour on Amazon.com

Source: Nourishedkitchen.com

Posted in Coconut Flour, Cooking with coconut | Tagged celiac disease, coconut bread, coconut flour, recipe for coconut bread | Leave a comment

Coeliac (Celiac) Disease and how Coconut Flour can help

Posted on September 26, 2011 by admin

Coeliac or Celiac disease?

On the web the disease associated with food intolerance to gluten is called both celiac disease and coeliac disease. They are one and the same thing. For the sake of convenience I will use the Wikipedia appellation, coeliac disease.

Science has got to the stage where it can identify the genes responsible for a pre-disposition to coeliac disease. Testing for coeliac disease is only effective if someone is on a diet which includes gluten.

Symptoms and health problems caused by coeliac disease

The symptoms of coeliac disease are fatigue, chronic diarrhea, anaemia, and in children it can lead to slow rates of weight gain and delayed pubertal development. The disease can also be asymptomatic, which means there are no visible signs of the disease. This is a problem because coeliac disease does long term damage to the body. Basically, gliadin (a gluten protein) attaches itself to the villi lining of the small intestine. Antibodies then attack the villi that lines the small intestine. This results in what is known as villous atrophy.

The result is a reduced ability to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. It also causes failure to absorb enough iron which leads to anaemia. Failure to get enough vitamin D as well as calcium leads to bone problems such as osteoporosis.

Coconut cure for coeliac disease

The cure to the problem of gluten intolerance and coeliac disease is simple: a gluten free diet. This means cutting wheat, barley, spelt, semolina, durum and rye out of the diet. Suitable gluten free cereal alternatives are maize (corn), millet, sorghum, teff, rice, and wild rice. Non cereals such as amaranth, quinoa or buckwheat, and coconut flour are also free of gluten.

One of the best gluten free flours you can use is coconut flour. It is fine, white flour that has a slight sweetness and taste of coconuts. Coconut flour can be used to make cakes, sweet breads and other deserts. It can also be made into bread. As such coconut flour is an ideal substitute for wheat for those who love bread and cakes.

Health benefits of coconut flour

There are also a number of health advantages to using coconut flour. It is high in dietary fiber and high (for a type of flour) in protein. At the same time it is low in carbohydrates. This is a winning nutritional combination that helps to nourish the body while promoting weight loss.

As with coconut oil, coconut flour contains medium chain fatty acids that are easily absorbed by the body and turned to energy. This means coconut flour recipes gives energy without extra fat being put on.

In contrast to coeliac disease that prevents the body from absorbing vitamins and minerals, coconut flour is a great provider of vital vitamins C, E, B1, B6, B3 and B5. It also contains such minerals as calcium, selenium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.

In many ways coconut flour is a great remedy for the ill-effects produced by coeliac disease or gluten intolerance. By switching to coconut flour you immediately start to address the damage done by gluten. And by doing so you do not need to give up any foods that you love – just replace the wheat flour with coconut flour!

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeliac_disease

Posted in Coconut Flour | Tagged celiac disease, coconut bread, coconut flour, coeliac disease, cure, gluten free alternative to wheat flour, minerals in coconut flour, symptoms, vitamins in coconut flour | Leave a comment

Coconut Milk vs. Cow’s Milk

Posted on September 6, 2011 by admin

What’s in coconut milk?

When comparing the relative merits of food products it is sometimes helpful to know exactly what is in each product. Most countries make it the law that food companies stipulate the ingredients of their products to allow the consumer to know exactly what they are buying.

This post will make a comparison between cow’s milk and coconut milk. This will help to give a scientific foundation for the assertions made as to the health benefits of coconut milk made on this website. Many people are of the belief that dairy products and milk in particular cannot be substituted for a vegan alternative because such alternatives lack the vitamins or minerals necessary for life, and especially for the healthy development of children.

Breakdown of 100 grams of coconut milk:

Calories – 230
Proteins – 2.3 g
Fat – 23.8g
Carbohydrates – 5.5 g
Dietary fiber – 2.3 g
Sugar – 3.35 g
Vitamin C – 2.8 mg
Vitamin E – 0.15 mg
Vitamin B1 – 0.026 mg
Vitamin B6 – 0.033 mg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) – 0.183 mg
Folate – 16 mcg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – 0.76 mg
Iron – 1.64 mg
Selenium – 6.2 mcg
Sodium – 15 mg
Calcium – 16 mg
Magnesium – 37 mg
Phosphorus – 100 mg
Potassium – 260 mg

Wikipedia’s breakdown of 100 grams of typical cow’s milk:

Water       87.8g
Protein     3.2g
Fat        3.9g
Carbohydrate    4.8g
Energy       66 kcal
Energy       275 kJ
Sugars (lactose)   4.8g
Cholesterol    14 mg
Calcium    120mg
Saturated fatty acids     2.4g
Monounsaturated fatty acids     1.1g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids     0.1g

Analysis – protein and calcium

Cow’s milk contains more protein and calcium than coconut milk. However, both are suitable sources of both protein and calcium for a growing child, or for that matter an adult.

From the comparison so far cow’s milk seems to be coming out on top. What is interesting is if we now take a look at the minerals and vitamins found in cow’s milk.

The following list is for 100 grams of semi-pasteurized milk:

Sodium          43mg
Potassium   156mg
Calcium    120mg
Magnesium    11mg
Phosphorus    94mg
Iron       0.02mg
Zinc       0.4mg
Chloride    87mg
Manganese    Trace
Selenium    1µg
Iodine     30µg
Retinol    19µg
Carotene    9µg
Vitamin D    Trace
Vitamin E    0.04mg
Thiamin    0.03mg
Riboflavin    0.24mg
Niacin     0.1mg
Vitamin B6    0.06mg
Vitamin B12    0.9µg
Folate             9µg
Pantothenate    0.68mg
Biotin             3.0µg
Vitamin C (mg)   2mg

NB. µg is 1 millionth of a gram: in other words a very small amount.

Analysis of vitamins and minerals in coconut milk and cow’s milk

Coconut milk has more vitamin C, Vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B3 (niacin) than cow’s milk. In terms of minerals coconut milk has more phosphorous, potassium, selenium, iron and magnesium. Coconut milk is much lower in sodium than cow’s milk (this is a good thing).

Cow’s milk has more vitamin B6 and vitamin B5 than coconut milk. In most other respects cow’s milk is inferior to coconut milk in terms of the mineral and vitamin breakdown.

As Wikipedia points out, modern Western civilization is unusual in continuing the consumption of milk after the period of breast feeding is over. This is prolonged through taking dairy products, especially cow’s milk. As we get older the enzyme, lactase, needed to breakdown the lactose found in cow’s milk and mother’s milk declines. This decline is only halted by the continual consumption of lactose containing milk. So if you have a break between mother’s milk and drinking cow’s milk there is a good chance that you will develop lactose intolerance.

Another point worth making is that both cow’s milk and coconut milk are high in saturated fat. The key difference is that coconut milk contains saturated fat that is mostly composed of medium chain fatty acids that are readily metabolized by the body. The saturated fat in cow’s milk contains a lot of long chain fatty acids that in comparison that are not readily broken down by the body and turned to energy.

Finally, as this website has pointed out a number of times. Coconut milk and coconut oil contains lauric acid the same as mother’s milk. The only other natural product that contains significant amount of lauric acid is palm oil. Lauric acid is responsible for making mother’s milk capable of protecting an infant from viral, protozoal, fungal and bacterial infection. Coconut milk can provide the same protection for adults. This alone makes coconut milk superior to cow’s milk.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk
http://www.drgranny.com/health-nutrition/benefits-of-coconut-milk/
http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaigns/whitelies/wlreport05.shtml

Posted in Coconut milk benefits | Tagged 100 g of coconut milk, carbohydrates, coconut milk vs. cow's milk, healthiest drink, lactase, lactose intolerance, lauric acid, minerals, palm oil, protein, vitamins | Leave a comment

Opening a coconut

Posted on August 23, 2011 by admin

Guide to opening a coconut

On my first trip to India I remember being impressed with the ease that street sellers would open young coconuts after a customer had promised to make a purchase. They would nimbly take their machete and chip off the sides and then pierce the top and hand the coconut to the customer to drink the water. I also remember not being overly impressed by the tangy warm liquid inside the coconut. That was many years before I discovered just how useful coconut water was.

I don’t recommend opening a coconut as street hawkers in India. It can be dangerous to hold a coconut and swing a machete at an object in your hand. The dangers are obvious. Here is an alternative method to opening a coconut.

Opening a coconut that is young and green

If you buy a green coconut that does not have a husk you will just want to extract the coconut juice. There will be little meat since it is the water that becomes the meat over time.

First take a hammer, a nail and a towel. Fold the towel and put it on a hard and solid surface such as a concrete floor.

Next investigate the coconut and try and identify the top. The coconut should be slightly oval and have a tapered top and a fatter bottom. Place the fatter end on the folded towel so it sits up. Then take the hammer and nail and drive a couple of holes into the top of the coconut. You can then drink the coconut water straight from the coconut water or you can pour the coconut liquid out into a glass.

The advantage of pouring the coconut water into another receptacle is that you can then put the water in the fridge to chill. Many people prefer the taste of chilled coconut water to coconut water served at room temperature.

In cities you can often buy coconuts from markets where the coconut has already been shaved and the top is apparent. It is just a matter of puncturing a hole in the top either by chopping the top off or by using the hammer and nail method. The shaved coconut sits by itself so the towel is not necessary. This method of opening a coconut is demonstrated in the second video below.

Opening a coconut with a husk

Just as there is more than one way to skin a cat so there is more than one way to open a coconut. Thais use a piece of wood with a spike sticking out. Once they have pierced the top of the coconut and drained off the coconut milk they will hit the coconut against the spike. When the spike sticks in the coconut they will pull to rip the coconut apart. It requires skill and strength to use this method for opening coconuts.

Here is an easier way to opening a coconut in a husk. First examine the coconut carefully. You should find 2 or 3 dark patches on the end of the coconut. These are weaker points. Place the coconut on a folded towel on a hard surface and use a hammer and a nail to drive a couple of holes through the black indentations that were identified before. The coconut can then be drained of coconut milk.

Next place the coconut on its side and wrap the towel around the coconut. Then simply give the coconut a few strong hits with the hammer to crack it open. Opening a coconut couldn’t be easier!

Once the coconut is open, take a sharp knife and carefully scrape out the coconut meat. Some people use a knife that is bent that can be slid down the side of the coconut between the husk and the meat and use the knife to ‘peel’ the meat away from the inside of the husk. However, you choose to do it be careful not to cut yourself. Blood and coconut meat is not appetizing.

You will often find that part of the brown skin of the coconut will stick to the pieces of coconut you have scrapped out of the shell. To remove this thin layer of skin, use a potato peeler.

The scrapped out coconut meat is now ready for eating, adding to a smoothie or using in cooking.

Alternatively, you can add warm water to the coconut meat and then squeeze it through muslin or cheese cloth to extract the coconut milk and oil. See the first video below for more details of this process.

Keeping coconut after opening a coconut

After opening a coconut you have the option to store the meat instead of using it immediately. Coconut meat can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. In the freezer coconut meat stays fine for 3 months. You can dry the meat in the sun or an oven and shred it and it will last for 6 to 12 months in a cool place. Coconut milk and coconut oil contains antioxidants that stops it going off and so can be kept for a long time in a cool and shaded place.

Video for opening an older coconut and removing the meat

This woman shows how to open a coconut, remove the meat and extract the coconut milk.

Video for opening a young coconut

This man always has his top off, no doubt to add sex appeal to his youtube efforts and improve paypal donations. You have to ignore the pseudo-mystical drivel that he speaks. He can, however, open a coconut.

Posted in Coconut information | Tagged opening a coconut, taking the meat out of a coconut, using a nail and hammer, videos showing how to open a coconut | Leave a comment

Benefits of coconut oil for dogs

Posted on August 14, 2011 by admin

Keeping your pet healthy: coconut oil for dogs

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Click here to find the best price for coconut chips for dogs on Amazon

This website seeks not only to explain the benefits of coconut oil for humans but also for pets. If you regularly take coconut oil as a health supplement and are impressed with the results it is very likely that you will be interested in sharing these benefits with your dog. There are several health benefits of coconut oil for dogs.

Coconut oil has a very good record for helping dogs with a number of problems. Coconut oil is delicious for dogs and it is a natural medicine. The only possible negative side effect of giving dogs coconut oil in their food is that the stools can become loose and greasy. This is because the coconut oil has been added too rapidly to the dog’s diet. It is recommended that you start with half a tablespoon of coconut oil a day for every 20 pounds that the dog weighs. Over time the dosage should be increased to one or two teaspoons a day for each 20 pounds of weight. You can add the coconut oil for dogs either to the dog food or feed it directly to the dog. Another possibility is to feed the dog Cocotherapy’s coconut chips as a food supplement.

Health Benefits of Coconut oil for Dogs

Coconut oil in the diet of dogs helps to keep the fur shiny and healthy looking. It is also possible to slowly massage coconut oil into the fur. The coconut oil moisturizes the skin and keeps it healthy. Also coconut oil is a great moisturizer for cracked paws.

Coconut oil helps to deodorize dogs. Both in the fur and in the diet of a dog the coconut oil helps to reduce doggy smells and is a good alternative to constant shampooing.

Coconut oil in the diet has been shown to have a strong correlation with increased thyroid activity in humans and the same is true for canines. Coconut oil as a health supplement for dogs helps to improve the immunity system of the animal and protect against cancer and other serious diseases.

Also coconut oil contains lauric acid that becomes monolaurin in the human and canine body that is an antimicrobial agent that protects the dog from viral infections. Living with humans can subject canines to new viral attacks that they are unable to repel. Coconut oil helps to give the animal better protection in such cases.

The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are readily metabolized by dogs the same as humans. To help dogs lose weight it is a good idea to include a small amount of coconut oil in the dog food. It helps them burn off excess body weight.

Often it is the case that dogs hunt out garbage and other unhealthy foods. Their digestive system needs to detox from this poor quality food. Coconut oil for dogs helps with this process of detoxing. Caution should be taken to not attempt a rapid detoxing of the dog as it can cause a shock to the dog’s system.

Coconut oil has been found beneficial by many dog owners to treat ear infections, yeast infections and to settle the stomach.

Another use of coconut oil for canines is as toothpaste. Dogs love the taste of the oil and it helps to kill bad bacteria in the mouth and make the breath smell better.

Coconut Oil for dogs is cheap, natural and effective

Coconut oil is healthy for dogs. They love the taste of the oil. It can be added to food or given separately. It is important, as with people, to give your dog the best – that means organic virgin coconut oil not RBD coconut oil that is bleached, deodorized and contains impurities. The great thing about using coconut oil for keeping your dog healthy is that it is cheaper and better for the dog than many dog supplements currently on the market.

Posted in Coconut oil benefits | Tagged coconut oil for dogs, cocotherapy, health benefits, help dog lose weight, protection for dog, toothpaste for dogs | Leave a comment

Coconut Flour

Posted on July 22, 2011 by admin

Click here to find the Best Price for Coconut Flour on Amazon

It is estimated that nearly one third of the World is dependent on the coconut for food and commerce. The coconut reaches maturity in just 6 or 7 years and doesn’t need expensive or environmentally damaging inputs of fertilizers and pesticides to be grown commercially. For these two reasons coconut is the ideal crop for people living in hot countries where certain resources are in short supply but voracious bugs are not.

One of the more unusual uses of coconut is to make coconut flour. Once produced coconut flour looks very similar to wheat flour and can be used in a similar way to bake bread and cakes. Coconut flour is an ideal alternative to wheat flour because it is free of gluten. It is as rich in protein as other types of flour. Moreover coconut flour is low in carbohydrates, rich in fiber and contains important minerals.

How is coconut flour made?

To make coconut flour mature coconuts are taken and the coconut meat is removed. It is then pressed to make coconut oil. The remaining coconut meat is then dried and defatted. The dried and defatted coconut meat is then ground into a fine powder which looks like wheat flour.

About Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is very different to wheat flour.

Coconut flour consists of 14% coconut oil and 58% dietary fiber. The remaining 28% is protein, carbohydrate and water.

The coconut oil in coconut flour is a good way to replace unhealthy trans fats in the diet with healthy saturated fats that are readily metabolized by the body and turned into energy.

Coconut flour has a higher percentage of dietary fiber than any other type of flour. Fiber is essential for the smooth functioning of the digestive tract.

Coconut flour does not contain any of the protein known as gluten, but does contain other proteins useful for the body. Gluten intolerance is a common problem and coconut flour is the healthy solution.

Coconut flour is low in carbohydrates. The combination of low digestible carbohydrates and high fiber is ideal for people intent on weight loss as it promotes a feeling of fullness and prevents constipation.

More Advantages of coconut flour

Most coconut flour is organic. It is also made without being treated with sulfites.

Coconut flour contains natural sugars and so when cooking with coconut flour less sugar is needed. Cooking with coconut flour is a good way to reduce processed sugar in your diet.

Coconut flour has a slightly sweet coconut taste which adds piquancy to food.

What can you make with coconut flour?

Just about anything that you bake with wheat flour can be made with coconut flour instead. Foods such as bread, cakes, cookies, muffins and pies can all be made with coconut flour. There is no loss of shape or sacrifice in taste when you substitute coconut flour for wheat or other types of flour.

Many people who use coconut flour use it to replace 30% of wheat. It is often the case that for 100% use of coconut flour 4 eggs should be added for every cup of coconut flour. For muffins and short breads coconut flour can be completely substituted for wheat.

It is not necessary to bake coconut flour. It can be added to smoothies and shakes to add protein and fiber to a drink. It can also be dissolved in water to make a quick gluten-free protein and high fiber drink with a coconut taste.

Coconut flour can also be used in cooking to thicken soups, sauces and curries. In other words coconut flour is nearly an exact match in uses for wheat flour.

Where can I buy coconut flour?

You can buy coconut flour at health food shops and online at Amazon.com and other reputable online retailers. There is now a good selection of coconut flour on Amazon, most of which is organic. Tropical Traditions do 2.2 lbs packs for under $12. It comes highly recommended by people who have made purchases through Amazon.

Resources for those who want to learn more about gluten intolerance and about gluten and wheat free foods

1) Unique Gluten-Free Grains by Danna Korn is a good overview of gluten intolerance and lists many legumes, fruits and grains that are free of gluten. Many of these grains are some of the oldest foods known to man.

2) This is a list of authority sites dealing with gluten intolerance. The medical, nutritional and anthropological aspects of gluten intolerance are all covered.

Posted in Coconut Flour | Tagged baking with coconut flour, coconut flour, gluten free, health benefits of coconut flour, high in fiber, how is coconut flour made?, how to use coconut flour, protein, shakes, smoothies | Leave a comment

How to Cook Green Curry

Posted on July 9, 2011 by admin

Favorite Thai Dishes and Coconut Milk

According to a survey (see source 1) conducted by the Thai National Cultural Commission of 1,000 Thai restaurants around the world the top 5 favorite Thai dishes of customers are: 1) Tom Yam Kung; 2) Green Curry; 3) Phad Thai (fried noodles); 4) Phat Kraphao (meat fried with sweet basil); and 5) Kaeng Phet Pet Yang (roast duck).

Green curry (kaeng khiao wan) is a great dish that combines spice, aroma and the rich taste of coconut milk. It is great for a dinner party or when you have to cook for others. It is probably no accident that the first and second most popular Thai dishes use coconut milk. The taste of coconut milk is synonymous for many with Thai cuisine. If you have any doubts about whether coconut milk makes you fat you should look at the generally slim and healthy physiques of Thai people. Many Thais drink and smoke and don’t go down the gym and yet they don’t gain pounds and pounds of weight. It is not despite of the saturated fat in coconut milk but because of the coconut milk and coconut oil in their diet that they remain slim.

The secret to cooking great Thai curry is getting the best ingredients and making the curry paste fresh. Ideally you need fresh lemon grass and cilantro. If you can’t get fresh coconut milk then Thai kitchen Pure Coconut Milk is recommended.

If you cannot find cilantro then fresh coriander is a possible substitute.

Ingredients for Green Curry Paste:

4 small green chilies
1 onion/shallot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger, grated
1 stalk fresh minced lemongrass or 3 tsp. frozen or bottled lemongrass
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 to 1 tsp. shrimp paste
1 (loose) cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
3 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. lime juice

Curry Ingredients:

About 0.7 kg boneless chicken thigh or breast, cut into chunks
1 can of coconut milk
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1 zucchini or eggplant, sliced lengthwise several times, then cut into chunks
2 tsp. coconut oil

Instead of the kaffir leaves it’s possible to use 1 tablespoon of grated lime zest. To prepare lemon grass for the paste you need to cut away the leaves and central stem and cut the remaining part into thin strips

Directions for cooking Thai Green Curry with coconut milk

First put all the ingredients for the curry paste into a food blender and turn into a paste. A small amount of coconut milk can be added if moisture is needed to make the ingredients into a paste.

Heat a wok with coconut oil in it then add green curry paste and cook for a few seconds to release the fragrance. Then add coconut milk and chicken chunks. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until chicken is tender.

Next add the red pepper, the zucchini and the lime leaf (or zest). And cook for another 2 or 3 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Finally try and add sugar, salt and fish sauce to taste. If too hot then more coconut milk can be added. It is also a nice final touch to add fresh basil before serving. Serve green curry in a bowl with Thai rice on the side. That should be an authentic Thai green curry taste that is perfect for dinner parties at home. The easiest vegetarian option is to substitute the chicken for tofu. The ingredients given above should feed 4 people.

Click here to compare prices for coconut milk on Amazon

Sources:

1) www.kohchangholiday.com (Most popular Thai dishes)

2) thaifood.about.com (Green Curry recipe)

Posted in Cooking with coconut | Tagged chicken and zucchini, coconut milk, how to cook Thai green curry, ingredients for green curry, kaeng khiao wan, most popular Thai dishes, vegetarian option | Leave a comment

Coconut Pioneers: Mary Gertude Enig

Posted on June 27, 2011 by admin

Click here to order the ground breaking book by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig – Eat Fat, Lose Fat

Mary Enig – iconoclast and champion of coconut oil

Mary Gertrude Enig is one of the first establishment figures in America to challenge the orthodox view that saturated fats in a diet increase the risks of heart disease. Her research clearly shows the importance of including fats such as coconut oil in a healthy diet. Enig at one point was a whistle blower when research data was altered to promote polyunsaturated fats. In many ways Mary Enig PhD is a pioneer for the cause of coconut oil in the diet.

Not a Maverick

Mary Enig is not a maverick with an obscure educational history. Far from it; she is at the heart of the educational establishment in America. Enig attended the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP). She received an MS, and later a PhD in Nutritional Sciences in 1984. She was a faculty research associate at UMCP with the Lipids Research Group in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry from 1984 to 1991. She has published scientific papers on food fats and oils and is a former editor of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Enig first caught the attention of the public with her early work on trans-fats. She was one of the first to warn that trans fatty acids lower the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the body and campaigned for proper labeling on food items to inform people of this. Her pressure helped to make this mandatory in the USA.

She soon established her position that butter and coconut oil were not bad as previously thought and did not lead to heart disease. She has been tireless advocate of using coconut oil in the diet. She cited from the research of Jon J. Kabara that showed that coconut oil has antimicrobial properties that could be used to treat HIV and other viral diseases.

She was also influenced by the work of Weston A. Price who advocated traditional diets that were often high in so called ‘saturated fats’. With Sally Fallon Enig wrote the book Eat Fat, Lose Fat in which she explained that butter, coconut oil, cream, lard and goose fat were all part of a healthy diet. She also posited that people on low fat diets were drained of energy and suffered from ‘fat deficiency’. This very much challenged the orthodoxy that polyunsaturated fats were healthy and that saturated fats were unhealthy.

Enig the whistle blower

In 1977 Mary G. Enig was invited to join a US Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs that was chaired by Senator George McGovern. The official conclusion of the committee stated that the consumption of saturated fats had been ‘related to 6 out 10 of the leading causes of death’ in the USA.

Enig blew the whistle on what she saw as a deliberate manipulation of data and stated that the Committee findings were inaccurate since the consumption of animal fats and in particular saturated fats had fallen since the Twentieth Century. She also showed that the data pointed to the fact that vegetable fat consumption increased the risk of cancer and that there was no correlation between animal fats and cancer. Enig did not mince her words in declaring that the analysts for the committee had manipulated data to obtain inaccurate results.

The power of the American agribusiness sector

Here clearly is an example of the power and influence of the agricultural sector in America. Corn and soy each take up 2% of America’s land mass and corn oil, soy oil and other vegetable oils are leading profit makers for America’s food Brahmins. Such is the power of agribusiness in America that they were able to ‘fix’ a report to suit their needs.

Mary Enig published a paper in 1978 explaining her findings. The edible oils industry were horrified and tried to discredit her. Enig continued her studies at the University of Maryland despite a deliberate lack of funding. Enig and a team of scientists analysed the amount of trans fats in food stuffs in America. They also sought to prove that trans fats interfered with enzymes that neutralized carcinogens. The work culminated in a paper in 1983 which showed that margarine contained between 31% and 45% trans fats. Shortenings found in cookies and baked products contained 35% trans fats. The paper concluded that the average America ate 12 grams of trans fats a day. This was in contradiction to the Institute for Shortening and Edible Oils (ISEO) that claimed Americans only had 6 to 8 grams of trans fats in their daily diet.

Europe supports Enig’s findings

It was not until the 1990s that the mainstream media and the political machine in Washington started to take seriously what Enig and her colleagues at UMCP had been saying for nearly 20 years. The breakthrough came with a number of papers from Europe confirming Enig’s research that trans fats in vegetable oils and soy oil was causing cancer and heart disease.

Mary Enig is now regarded as one of the leading authorities on trans fats. Throughout she has been a tireless advocate for coconut oil in the diet. Recently she has taken up the subject of fighting AIDS through nutrition.

Mary Enig on the Forward Motion Show talking about trans fats, coconut oil etc.

Watch this youtube clip to get a quick idea of Mary Enig’s ideas. The hostess of this show is a bit irritating but eventually she lets the scientist speak and then the facts and the conspiracy of saturated fat being bad for you comes out.

Sources:

1) Wikipedia entry on Mary Enig

2) www.stop-tans-fat.com

Posted in Coconut oil benefits | Tagged cancer, Eat Fat, HDL, heart disease, Jon J. Kabara, Lose Fat, Mary Enig, Mary Enig on the Forward Motion Show, Sally Fallon, trans fats, Weston A. Price, whistle blower | Leave a comment

Zico vs. Vita Coco vs. O.N.E

Posted on June 18, 2011 by admin

The three major brands of coconut water on the market are Zico, Vita Coco and O.N.E. For the first time buyer of coconut water it can be a difficult choice as to which brand to try first. They are all about the same price and on Amazon.com all three brands have their admirers and detractors. Taste is such a subjective thing that it is difficult to make a recommendation based upon what you like because someone else is bound to have different tastes to you. In this post I will attempt to give as much information about the three brands of coconut water to help you choose for yourself.

Zico Coconut Water

Click here to find the best price for Zico Coconut Water on Amazon.com

Zico was formed by Mark Rampolla who discovered the benefits of coconut water while serving in the Peace Corp in South America. Zico sponsors sports events and pushes its coconut water as a sports drink.

Zico coconut water is low in acidity, gluten free and kosher certified. Zico is made from young Brazilian coconuts. It is sold in 11.2 ounce tetra packs by Amazon.

Zico coconut water has probably the smoothest taste of the three coconut waters. It strikes a balance between the natural sweetness and tang of coconut water. Zico also has an even consistency that is not too watery or conversely too syrupy.

Vita Coco Coconut Water

Click here to find the best price for Vita Coconut Water on Amazon.com

Madonna has used her considerable influence to make Vita Coco a hot new topic in Hollywood. Her showbiz chums now swear by the stuff as great for curing hangovers and rehydrating after a good workout.

Vita Coco is sold in 11.2 ounce tetra packs by Amazon.com. It is free of fat, cholesterol and sugar, and low in acidity. As with Zico, Vita Coco is made from young Brazilian coconuts.

Vita Coco has the strongest coconut flavor of the three coconut waters under review. It is a tangy drink with a moderately creamy body and a nutty taste.

O.N.E Coconut Water with a Splash of Fruit Juice

Click here to find the best price for O.N.E Coconut Water on Amazon.com (without fruit juice)

Click here to find the best price for O.N.E Coconut water on Amazon.com (with a splash of fruit juice)

The founder of O.N.E is Rodrigo Veloso who grew up drinking coconut water straight from the coconut. O.N.E stands for ‘one natural experience’. The principal behind the company is to replace sugary unhealthy beverages with healthy ones.

This is slightly ironic because although O.N.E coconut water is much lower in added sugar than the average cola it does taste sweeter than either Zico or Vita Coco because it is often sold mixed with a ‘splash’ of either pineapple, guava, passion fruit, mango or tangerine. For those who are not too keen on the tangy taste of coconut water this splash of natural fruit juice does wonders for the palate. It also makes O.N.E coconut water a good mixer for cocktails and fruit punches.

While some people find O.N.E to have the most authentic coconut taste, others feel that it is too watery.

O.N.E coconut water is sold in 8.5 ounce tetra packs by Amazon.

General Note about Coconut Water

All of these coconut waters should be served cold. The chill makes them a lot more refreshing and palatable. The perception of coconut taste is very important. Coconut water from the young coconut water has a sweetness with an underlying tang that some enjoy. It is something of an acquired taste. Often people who grew up drinking coconut water associate the tang of coconut water with their childhood. To a North American taste bud there probably is no nostalgia about coconut water to influence choice.

The general consensus seems to be that Zico and O.N.E are the best coconut waters with Coco Vita coming out third consistently. For those who love the taste of coconut water there really is nothing that can beat drinking straight from the husk of a young coconut.

Resources:

O.N.E website – www.onedrinks.com

Zico website – www.zico.com

Vita Coco website – www.vitacoco.com

Posted in Coconut Water | Tagged best coconut water, best taste, kosher certified, Madonna, most coconut taste, O.N.E, one natural experience, reviews, Vita Coco, Zico | Leave a comment