Ingredients

coconut

Coconut is used as a garnish in various forms: a slice of the white inner flesh, chunked, or shredded, and either fresh or dried. Coconut meat is also used as a drink additive for its flavoring in juice, extract, syrup & liqueur forms and its shell, halved, can serve as a drink vessel. Coconuts are commonly found in two commercial forms: mature and young “Thai” (or “green”). The former are brown, “hairy” and hard-shelled. The latter are either green husked or mechanically de-husked and trimmed into a whitish, fibrous cylinder with a conical top. Both forms of coconut are useful in mixed drinks. Mature coconuts contain coconut water and dense coconut meat. Young coconuts contain coconut water and less-firm coconut meat, some of which is usually has a jelly-like texture. Both forms of coconut require some effort and technique to open and employ, and the first few attempts are the hardest. Numerous techniques exist, and the Internet readily offers various illustrated how-tos.