Coconut
The fruit of the coconut palm; for soup the mature nut is cracked, its firm white flesh cut into strips, and the water often poured in as well. Slow simmering draws out a rich, fragrant sweetness that turns a chicken or silkie pot silky and aromatic.
TCM properties
Nature · warming Flavour · sweet Meridians · spleen、stomach
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy coconut flesh is used to tonify qi, strengthen the spleen and generate fluids, and it is prized for making tonic soups fragrant and rich.
Cautions: read first
- Coconut flesh is high in fat, so keep it moderate if your blood lipids are high
- People with diabetes should watch the sugar in coconut water
Preparation
Take out the flesh and cut it into strips; the coconut water can boil along with everything else, or go in later to keep it clean and sweet.
Origin
Hainan is the main Chinese source; most on sale come from Thailand and Vietnam. Australian online stock skews to young Thai coconuts; mature brown nuts are an in-store buy
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
