Description - Dried coconut is a nutritional powerhouse and extremely tasty. It has long been used in sweet and savory dishes in the Middle East, South Asia, and the Far South.
Dried coconuts are just that; dry. The milk inside the coconut hardens as it matures and becomes copra, or coconut meat. After the coconut is first cracked, the moisture content of the meat is approximately 50 percent and contains about 30-40 percent oil. After drying by heat or sun, the moisture content drops to 4 or 5 percent, and the oil content jumps to 36-70 percent. The resulting dried coconut is off-white to white in color with a mild coconut flavor. Dried coconut is higher in saturated fat than dairy products. It has no cholesterol and is very low in sodium. Dried coconut is high in manganese, which researchers believe is beneficial for healthy skin and bones and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
