''Nata de coco'', also marketed as coconut gel, is a chewy, translucent, jelly-like food produced by the

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...

coconut water Coconut water (also coconut juice) is the clear liquid inside coconuts (fruits of the coconut palm). In early development, it serves as a suspension for the endosperm of the coconut during the nuclear phase of development. As growth continue ...

, which gels through the production of microbial cellulose by '' Komagataeibacter xylinus''. Originating in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, ''nata de coco'' was invented in 1949 by Teódula Kalaw África as an alternative to the traditional Filipino '' nata de piña'' made from

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

s. It is most commonly sweetened as a candy or dessert, and can accompany a variety of foods, including pickles, drinks, ice cream, puddings, and fruit cocktails.

Etymology

''Nata de coco'' means "

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

of coconut" in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

History

''Nata de coco'' was invented in 1949 by Teódula Kalaw África, a

Filipina Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...

chemist working for the National Coconut Corporation (now the

Philippine Coconut Authority The Philippine Coconut Authority ( fil, Pangasiwaan sa Niyog ng Pilipinas, abbreviated as PCA or PHILCOA) is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Agriculture (from 2014 to 2018, under the Office of the President of the ...

). It was originally conceived as an alternative to '' nata de piña'', another gel-like Filipino dessert produced since the 18th century. This was because though the demand was high, ''nata de piña'' was seasonal, as it relied on pineapple harvests from the declining

piña Piña ( ) is a traditional Philippine fiber made from the leaves of the pineapple plant. Pineapples are indigenous to South America but have been widely cultivated in the Philippines since the 17th century, and used for weaving lustrous lace-li ...

fibre industry. Commercial production of ''nata de coco'' began in 1954, when the agency, renamed the Philippine Coconut Administration, opened a branch in Alaminos, Laguna and introduced the technology to local farmers. ''Nata de coco'' production was later optimized in the mid-1970s through the efforts of a team of microbiologists led by Priscilla C. Sánchez. In the 20th century, the demand for coconuts increased. Products from coconuts became a major export product of the Philippines, including ''nata de coco''.

Nutrition

''Nata de coco'' is mainly made from coconut water and so has a modest nutritional profile. One cup of it (118 grams) contains 109 calories, 1 gram of protein, and 7 grams of carbohydrates. It is often characterized as healthy since it contains dietary fiber to aid digestion while carrying fewer calories compared to other desserts, gram for gram.

Production

Commercially made ''nata de coco'' is made by small farms in the

, especially in Laguna and

Quezon Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon ( tl, Lalawigan ng Quezon), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Kalilayan was the first known name of th ...

, as well as

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, Vietnam, Malaysia, and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, especially in

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...

. It is commonly sold in jars. The primarily coconut water dessert is produced through the following steps: #Extraction of the coconut water, #Fermentation of the coconut water with bacterial cultures, #Separation and cutting of the produced surface layer of ''nata de coco'', #Cleaning and washing off the

acetic acid Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main component ...

, #Cutting and packaging

Dessert

''Nata de coco'' can be consumed on its own, but it can be used as an ingredient as well for fruit salads, ''

halo-halo Halo-halo, correctly spelled ''haluhalo'', Tagalog for "mixed" (the more common spelling instead literally equating to "mix-mix") is a popular cold dessert in the Philippines made up of crushed ice, evaporated milk or coconut milk, and vario ...

'', coconut cakes, ice creams, soft drinks, bubble tea, and yogurts.

References

External links

Case Study on Nata de coco Boom in the Philippines
{{portal bar, Food Plant-based fermented foods Philippine desserts Foods containing coconut Jams and jellies 1949 introductions