What is Desiccated Coconut and what are its health benefits?

You have possibly seen plastic packets of white desiccated coconut on superstore shelves, but other than being scattered over a dessert; do you know what else it’s used for, or what desiccation really means?

What is Desiccated Coconut?

The word desiccated is often assumed to be a variety of processing not dissimilar to shredding, but actually, it means ‘to dry out and remove all moisture’.

Desiccated coconut, therefore, is dried out as well as shredded coconut flesh or meat, as it is known in the food industry.

Desiccated coconut is made by grating the white, mature coconut flesh finely, before drying out in hot air at about fifty five degree Celsius.

Desiccated Coconut

It retains about 3% of the coconut’s moisture but is dry to the touch and taste. The desiccated coconut you will discover most often is finely grated but it can also be shredded, flaked or else processed into grains or chips. Most desiccated coconut is totally unsweetened as well as has nothing added to it, bar the occasional preservative to prolong shelf life.

However, it may also have artificial sweeteners, flavourings or colours added to it, which means it’s important to check the label. Shredded coconut is grated into larger pieces than desiccated, so is not as easily dried out.

Desiccated coconut is found regularly in Indian as well as South-East Asian cooking and cookery but is frequently stirred into or used to ‘top’ a variety of desserts, cereals and baked goods in the UK as well as Europe.

However, more and more peoples are now including desiccated coconut into food as well as drink recipes, in order to take pleasure in its numerous health benefits. If you are looking for finest desiccated coconut, consider buying from Celebes Coconut Corporation.