Coconut is one of the food ingredients that has various benefits, and can be processed into various delicious dishes, ranging from drinks, heavy meals, to snacks. Not only in Indonesia, it turns out that in various countries, coconut is also the main ingredient in creating delicious snacks that are enjoyed by many people. Here are some examples of snacks that use coconut from various countries:
Cocada – Mexico
The first snack, Cocada, comes from Mexico. This traditional snack is made from grated coconut and eggs. Apart from Mexico, Cocada is also popular in other Latin American and European countries, such as Argentina, Colombia, Spain, and Venezuela. In Mexico, Cocada is not only sold in stores but also easily found along the streets. Its sweet taste and soft texture make it a favorite snack for many people. Food coloring is also often added when making Cocada to make it look more attractive.
Espasol – Philippines
Espasol is a cylindrical rice cake snack originating from Laguna province, Philippines. Commonly sold in Christmas time, the cake is cooked using coconut milk and sweet coconut pieces, which are then dusted with toasted rice flour.
Iced VoVo – Australia
Iced VoVo is a famous classic snack from Australia that has a distinctive look, with a red stripe in the center made of rasberry jam. Iced VoVo is then also dipped in desiccated coconut for icing on top. This cake is commonly served at children’s birthday parties, but can also be enjoyed with a cup of tea. It is sweet, with a touch of fresh sourness from the rasberry jam, and a savory texture from the desiccated coconut on top.
Khanom Krok – Thailand
Khanom Krok is known as one of the most popular street snacks in Thailand, and is easily found in traditional markets. This pancake-like snack is made from rice flour and coconut milk. These tiny snacks are baked in a half-ball mold to produce a crispy outside and soft inside texture. Some variants even add toppings such as sweet corn and spring onions on top of the Khanom Krok to enrich the flavor and appearance.
Haupia – Hawaii
Haupia is a Hawaiian dessert made with coconut milk. Coconut milk is the main element that gives it its savory taste and strong tropical aroma, while cornstarch serves as a natural thickener to create a pudding-like consistency that can be cut into pieces.
Keo Dua – Vietnam
Keo Dua is one of the most famous traditional sweet treats from Ben Tre province, Vietnam, which also goes by the nickname “Land of Coconut” (Xu Dua). As the name implies, coconut is the main ingredient that gives this snack its distinctive flavor and aroma. Traditionally, this coconut candy is wrapped in two layers of wrapping. The inner layer is edible rice paper, and the outer layer is paper soaked in vegetable oil. These steps are necessary to prevent the candy from sticking to the wrapping paper.
