Coconut Recipes from Around the World

Reader-Created Coconut Recipe Cookbook

Cook Islands Cookbook

How to open a young coconut after drinking

Simply chop in half along the grain of the husk with a cleaver, hatchet, machete, cane knife etc.

This, I find, is most easily done by chopping once into the centre of the coconut “pole to pole” and then turning the “blade of choice” over and tapping the back on a solid surface, allowing the coconut to fall through the blade until it can be prised apart. This is by far the safest way, once you get the “knack” of it

The jelly or young flesh is delicious straight off the spoon or added to various dishes.

Cooked young coconut in the shell is a delicacy not tried by many.

Very simply discovered while camping by leaving the tapped coconut on the fire for half – 3/4 hour. An incredible smoked flavour enhances the sweetened oily flesh which lifts effortlessly from the inner shell. Soft, easy to chew and digest, I think this is one of the most overlooked taste sensations of our time.

There are volumes written on the benefits of coconut oil in the diet – its potential for healing and health maintenance, anti-viral, anti-protozoan, thyroid stimulating properties – the list goes on, and much of this material can be explored through the links page. Much of the compiled research leads to supplements, dietary regimes and new product development, CocoTap offers simplicity.

If you have access to coconuts why not make them a regular part of your diet. Young coconuts can be easily  oven baked or micro waved (cooking time varies depending on maturity-so experiment.)  A large coconut tapped and slow baking in the oven will brown like a turkey and give off a beautiful aroma. Give it about 45 mins at 200 degrees C and later it can be split in half with a cleaver, or sharp knife and the cooked flesh will lift out, succulent and steaming.

My culinary modifications have been minimalist. Just add a squeeze of lime or some chilli. Drink half and pour in some rum or let it ferment naturally. It doesn’t take long in the tropical sun. Bear in mind the young coconut is a perfect biological growth medium and can cultivate rich bacterial populations if left tapped drunk and not eaten. My personal rule is to keep coconuts in the fridge if I am not going to cook or split open and eat flesh directly after drinking or exposing the liquid to air, then throw them out if they’re still there the next day.

Recipes are never ending for this most versatile ingredient whether your purpose is indulgence, detoxing or energising yourself with entrees, mains, desserts or drinks there will be something for you. Please contact us with any inspirations you would like to share through this site.