Coconut Milk
When I think of coconut milk, I am *never* imagining the ready-to-drink carton beverage you see next to the milk in the grocery store. I personally find that version of coconut milk to be bland, and not surprisingly it has a lot of ingredients in it that aren’t coconut milk. Instead, I think of real coconut milk as having more in common with cream, but with a nutty background flavor. You won’t find it in the ready-to-drink aisle, but more likely in the “canned goods” section.
Coconut Milk Shopping Guide
Avoiding Bisphenol A (BPA) and Guar Gum
These coconut “milk” products lack BPA, most likely because they are in a carton instead of a can. They also lack Guar Gum, a legume derivative.
Aroy-D Coconut Milk is the most pleasant and authentic coconut milk I have tasted to date. It has a nutty flavor and subtle sweetness that, well, tastes like coconut; That’s because the only ingredient is coconut. By comparison, most canned coconut milks (I’ve tried a lot of them) have a “tinny” taste to them; Not so with Aroy-D.
Buy Aroy-D Coconut Milk @ Amazon.com
Aroy-D Coconut Cream is nearly identical to Aroy-D Coconut Milk, except after a day in the fridge it will seize up and separate like curds and whey. You might have to use a spoon to move the cream to your coffee, but I seriously enjoyed the taste. I found it hard not to snack on this straight because the delicate texture and sweetness was like eating shaved ice cream.
Buy Aroy-D Coconut Cream @ Amazon.com
Native Forest Coconut Milk is believed to not have BPA even though it is in a can (Ref: Chris Kresser). However, I have not tried this brand and cannot comment on the texture or flavor.
Buy Native Forest Coconut Milk @ Amazon.com