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

Method

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.