Re: Cream of Coconut

Patti,

Cream of coconut is NOT the same thing as coconut milk.

"Cream of coconut" means the thick, sweetened coconut cream that's used to make mixed drinks like pina coladas. You'll find it in supermarkets in the aisle with other mixers. The most common brand is Coco Lopez.

Coconut milk is a thin, unsweetened liquid made by "brewing" grated coconut with boiling water (and straining the results). When you make coconut milk, there's a little bit of slightly thicker unsweetened "coconut cream" that comes from the first pressing of the coconut, or the thin layer of "coconut cream" that floats to the top of a can of unhomogenized coconut milk. This is sometimes specified in Southeast Asian recipes, where it is added in a separate step from the rest of the coconut milk to enrich the dish.

Susan, Hawaii