Coconut: Way or No Way?
WAY for me.
I love coconut cream pie with toasted coconut on top.
Ina Garten's coconut cake is to die for.
I don't care for it in savory applications, with the exception of coconut fried shrimp.
My mother used to make a no-bake cookie rolled in coconut. I loved most of her food, but that one - not so much.
YOU???
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
32 Comments:
I love eating young, fresh coconut meat. It's soft and not sweet. Coconut milk used in curries, snacks, and desserts are practically an everyday thing one can find in our kitchen.
I grew up with an old, bountiful coconut tree that was short (less than 2 stories tall), so this was great and highly sought after because of the ease in picking them. Rats like to live in trees so we had to have the band around the tree to stop them from climbing up. Before I moved out on my own, my parents sold the tree for an incredible amount.
Cassaendra at 10:49AM on 12/13/08
Way way way! Esp coconut shrimp. I am a sucker for that.
jdshd at 11:13AM on 12/13/08
No...nooooo...nooooooooooooooooooooo!
I have never liked coconut, even (especially) as a kid. A while back, I decided to give it a try again, just to see if I really dislike it, or if it was just a memory of dislike. And yes, I still hate eating coconut. I don't care if it's fresh, stale or toasted.
I'm fine with coconut milk in rice or in a curry, but it not something that I yearn for.
I absolutely despise fake coconut flavoring in things like icings and sweets.
Once, I tried young coconut -- in the jelly stage -- and it was good. Getting that in the corner of the universe is quite unlikely, though.
dbcurrie at 11:18AM on 12/13/08
I don't know that I have a yes or no answer to this one. My first reaction was - no way! But then I thought that I'd definitely enjoy a slice of cream pie with toasted coconut on top. And I used to have a serious love affair with Bounty (chocolate bar) many years ago. I'm not sure I've seen Bounty round here, so in case you're not familiar - it's similar to Almond Joy, but with more (and firmer) coconut filling and no almonds. Frozen Bounty was absolutely heavenly! So I reckon it's "way", after all.
Definitely not in savoury applications though.
brooke29 at 11:19AM on 12/13/08
Brooke29, I too used to love Bounty bars. They are still made and sold in the UK, and in some US supermarkets that have a British section in their international foods aisles, you will find them on sale there, although for a premium.
I love real coconut, whether in sweet or savory dishes.
Mares at 11:46AM on 12/13/08
the one time i liked coconut was fresh out of the shell. we were using a coconut as a still life in a painting class, and at the end of the week we broke open the coconut and ate it.
other than that one time, i can't stand the stuff. so NO WAY!!!
redhead at 11:51AM on 12/13/08
No, no, no way.
I agree with Linus, from Peanuts--the worst thing in the world is biting into a piece of chocolate from a box and going BLECH because it tastes like coconut.
Coconut is just too sweet, and has this horrid, brainy texture.
Remember those awful coconut robin's egg nests made from green-dyed coconut with three jelly means that no one eats in Easter baskets?
HeartofGlass at 12:09PM on 12/13/08
Fresh coconut--good.
That dried, shredded stuff--bad. Especially when it's sweetened.
Coconut milk in curries--good.
Almond Joy--bad.
buffy at 12:24PM on 12/13/08
Coconut.........WAY!!!!
Markbb at 12:31PM on 12/13/08
I can take it or leave it, myself - although coconut milk in a gorgeous curry is something special. But as far as cookies, pies, cakes, etc? Meh.
However, my husband HATES coconut, and I find that I (perversely) am very drawn to coconut recipes just because I know they will be unappreciated.
Kiwords at 12:43PM on 12/13/08
Love coconut. The young ones are the best. You get a snack and a drink.
beth1 at 1:09PM on 12/13/08
Love the stuff. In granola alot. I had the best macaroon cookies I have ever had about 15 years ago from a cart just outside of the Newport Oregon's fish aquarium of all places I bought one and ended up going back and ordering a dozen more.
pjracz10 at 1:17PM on 12/13/08
way. WAY. WAY.
LoCo at 1:20PM on 12/13/08
Way for me, nay for BF. I love coconut any way it's prepared... Toasted, in a macaroon, you name it. BF can't stand the stuff.
therealchiffonade at 1:39PM on 12/13/08
The Nick Malgieri-Dorie Greenspan Perfect party Cake with coconut is the best damn piece of cake you will ever have. I believe that coconut is just freaking unreal good. I love coconut.
JerzeeTomato at 1:44PM on 12/13/08
Just made home made coconut ice cream. Came out perfect - sweet / sharp flavor with shredded mixed in. Kids loved it.
Ribster at 3:12PM on 12/13/08
no real opinion one way or another, but i do like Almond Joys...
Christina at 3:32PM on 12/13/08
way way way! i am a coconut-nut!
LOVE bounty bars-had completely forgotten about them!
also, LOVE toasted coconut covered marshmallows.
gastronomeg at 3:52PM on 12/13/08
I like Mounds because it has dark chocolate.
I love almonds, but don't really like Almond Joy because the chocolate isn't as good.
Am I alone here?
PerkyMac at 4:19PM on 12/13/08
I'm a huge coconut fan! I wish it didn't add so many calories to foods. I've come to really adore a few products made with coconut milk instead of regular milk like yogurt and ice cream. A huge personal favorite for me right now is Nada Moo Ice Cream which has a coconut milk base, but also comes in flavors. Another place I like to add coconut is to trail mix. :)
amandalovesfood at 4:43PM on 12/13/08
PerkyMac, according to Candy Freak (by Steve Almond, if my memory doesn't play me false), commercial candy bars use less high-quality chocolate when they have nuts, because they think it's easier to cover up the flavor--I think he says that Mr. Goodbar has the least 'real chocolate' and the most mocklate than any other bar sold as chocolate. So it would make sense that they think they can get away with inferior chocolate with Almond Joy.
Being a coconut-hater, I have never had either, although I loved the commercials! Sometimes you feel like a nut! Sometimes you don't!
HeartofGlass at 4:51PM on 12/13/08
@HeartofGlass ~ thanks - that's fascinating! Dirty rotten rats! Messing with my mind and my chocolate bar. The noive. Yeah, I feel like a nut. ;-D
PerkyMac at 4:57PM on 12/13/08
Hmmmm..I love Mallo Cups just because of the toasty coconut bits in the chocolate top. I have to be in the mood for Almond Joys. I think I prefer it as an accent rather than the main ingredient.
dhorst at 5:21PM on 12/13/08
Love coconut in just about anything. It never occurred to me that coconut would be something someone wouldn't like :)
jinx35 at 5:31PM on 12/13/08
Love the flavor, not so crazy about the texture. So I guess for me, it just really depends on how it's used.
kimberlymac at 10:40PM on 12/13/08
Ditto @kimberlymac.
For instance, coconut flavored Jelly Bellies are the stuff!
nightowl at 11:19PM on 12/13/08
I'm not a "raw foods" advocate, but I had 2 vegans at my Thanksgiving table and so needed a vegan dessert (let's face it, fruit isn't nearly as interesting as "real" dessert during the holidays). A friend gave me a raw food recipe with 4 ingredients: cocoa powder, coconut oil (consistency like Crisco), maple syrup, and almond flour. It was dynamite and tasted exactly like fudge. The coconut oil gave it an added presence but was not overwhelming. All this to say that coconut can have its place in the world..and definitely at my place! I agree that the sweetened stuff is like sawdust, but I do like unsweetened for cooking and also coconut milk and water for curries etc. My sister thinks of coconut the same way as I do of cilantro. Chaçun a son gout!
joannabar at 11:26PM on 12/13/08
I can handle coconut milk in a curry but I can't stand raw or shredded coconut. Or pina coladas.
blush at 4:21PM on 12/16/08
Coconut is a good thing!
dmcavanagh at 1:52PM on 12/17/08
WAY! Love the fresh stuff, love the sweetened stuff, love it in candy, love coconut milk, love coconut in savory dishes and any dessert.
Except... I tried to like coconut water but EEEEEW, couldn't do it.
CookiePie at 1:58PM on 12/17/08
I love Italian Cream Cake covered with toasted coconut and coconut cream pie with toasted coconut, so basically I guess I really only like toasted coconut.
elderberry44 at 2:04PM on 12/17/08
oh very way! very very way!
megannesta at 2:18PM on 12/17/08