Recipes
Asian
Nata de Coco

Nata de Coco

Name: Nata de Coco
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 300 ml fresh coconut water; 30 g white sugar; 0.5 g food-grade ammonium sulphate; 1 tbsp coconut vinegar; 3 tbsp nata starter; 40 g white sugar; 60 ml water; pandan leaf

The Filipino classic: sweetened coconut water is fermented with a nata starter until a thick, translucent mat forms on the surface, then cut into cubes, boiled clean and simmered in light syrup until glassy and chewy. Eaten cold on its own or spooned into halo-halo, buko salad and fruit cocktail.

Desserts Snacks Under 400 kcal

75 min25 prep · 50 cookMedium271 kcalper serving

Instructions

Strain 300 ml of fresh coconut water through muslin into a stainless steel saucepan to remove any pulp. Stir in 30 g of white sugar and 0.5 g of food-grade ammonium sulphate, bring to the boil and hold at a rolling boil for 10 minutes to sterilise the medium and dissolve the solids.
Take the pan off the heat and let the medium cool to room temperature, covered, it must be no warmer than 30C or the culture will die. Stir in 1 tbsp of coconut vinegar to bring it to roughly pH 4, then pour it into a wide, shallow, freshly sterilised glass jar or tray so the liquid stands about 4-5 cm deep.
Spoon 3 tbsp of nata starter gently over the surface, tilting the jar rather than stirring, so the bacteria stay at the air-liquid interface where the mat forms. Cover the mouth with muslin tied with string to keep out flies while letting air in.
Set the jar in a warm, dark, draught-free place at 28-30C and do not move, shake or peek into it for 10 to 14 days. It is ready when a smooth, opaque white mat 1-1.5 cm thick covers the whole surface and feels springy and rubbery to the touch.