This drink is delicious to drink, but also wonderful to cook with!
Over the past decade, coconut water has built a reputation as a particularly effective sports drink, because it’s packed with electrolytes you may have sweated out during exercise. But it has been used for much longer than that in Southeast Asian cooking and baking, and you should try it too!
I’ve heard someone say that they find coconut water disgusting because it tastes and smells like a wet petting zoo. And as hilarious as I find that description, I don’t agree. But even if you’d rather not drink it straight, there are countless possibilities for using it in the kitchen:
Get your coconut water
Vietnamese-born food writer Giao Chau says that by using coconut water, you need less refined sugar in a dish. For example, in the cooking technique kho, the umbrella term for braised and simmered dishes in which a protein gently cooks in a mixture of fish or soy sauce, sugar, water, and herbs. It is also used to cook pork and eggs for a traditional Vietnamese New Year’s dish, and to deglaze the pan after roasting chicken for a delicious caramelized pan sauce.
No wine, no problem
Because wine is not commonly used in Vietnamese cuisine, coconut water is the logical equivalent in the kitchen and can be used in the same way when making a beautiful stew. The result will be a milder flavor and a lighter color. You can poach chicken in it, or add a splash to stir-fries while cooking. Always read the packaging carefully, though, and make sure you don’t buy coconut water with added sugar or flavorings for use in the kitchen. Also avoid versions made from concentrate—you really want the pure stuff here.
If you dissolve sugar in it (so, use less sugar) for, for example, the nuoc cham dipping sauce served with the tastiest summer rolls or spring rolls, heat the coconut water first so the sugar dissolves more quickly. As Chau says: “Anything water can do, coconut water can do better! And it’s so mild that you may not even immediately notice it in a dish. But if it’s NOT in there, you’ll definitely wonder what’s missing…”
Also read:
- Cookbook tested: Miljuschka’s street food Vietnam
- Coconut milk or coconut cream?
- Monkey slavery exists, and these brands are guilty of it
Source: Bon Appétit
