SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, March 26, 2003: Coconut milk and cream are full of healthy values. In Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Thai medicine, the coconut is considered a healing food. Western medicine is beginning to understand that the fats in coconut milk, although saturated, contain at least 50 percent lauric acid, which carries antimicrobial and antiviral properties. In addition, according to lipid scientist Mary Enig, coconut oil converts directly into energy without being stored as fat. In traditional Thai cuisine, the fat of choice is palm oil while coconut milk and cream is the “milk” of choice. Dietary scientists find the Thai diet an enigma because while Thais generally consume these saturated “tropical” fats, they score low rates of obesity and heart disease, according to Enig. This lengthy article is devoted to the use of coconut milk in Thai cooking and includes recipes for several Thai desserts.
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