Category: Drinks

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Coconut Milk

leche de coco paso 7

Coconut milk is a delicious and nutritious plant-based milk. Compared to other plant-based milks, coconut milk is often the thickest, creamiest and healthiest option. Its healthy fats include MCT’s (medium chain triglycerides). Coconut milk also contains amino acids, healthy carbs and fiber, and is a good source of Manganese, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Selenium, Potassium, Vitamin C, and Folate, also known as Vitamin B9. Its smooth texture and its light coco-nutty taste make it ideal for many desserts.

You can buy coconut milk in a bottle or a can, but I would recommend making your own from fresh coconuts. The following steps are for young coconuts. If you have old coconuts, there is another process that I will discuss later.

  1. Open one or more fresh young coconuts with a coconut opening tool or a machete or a meat cleaver. Pour the coconut water through a strainer into a good blender.
  2. Cut open the young coconut(s) using a machete or meat cleaver, exposing the white coconut meat, which can range from a thin layer of oil to a rather hard white crust, with the average being a white jelly-like substance as shown here.
  3. Scrape the coconut meat into a bowl or onto a cutting board where you can slice off any brown woody pieces.
  4. Transfer the pure coconut meat into the blender.
  5. Blend once or twice depending on the hardness of your coconut meat.
  6. Serve as is, or use it in your favorite recipes.
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Atole

Atole

Atole is a traditional hot corn or plantain-based beverage originating from Central America. Shown here is plantain-based Atole topped with cinnamon.

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Medicinal Aromatic Infusions

infusions - drinks at vida lotus in panama

Above, three medicinal aromatic herbal infusions. On the left, genovese basil. In the middle, purple basil. On the right, oregano. We recommend this beverage any time you feel thirsty or to replace any other beverage. Infusions are healthier than juices and much healthier than sugary soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and dairy milk.

Always use organic herbs in your infusions. Non-organic herbs are heavily laden with pesticides, so it is important that you not use them in your food and beverage. You can refill the bottle with fresh mineral water, but you should first drink the water completely before refilling. (Do not refill a half-full infusion, or it will spoil quickly.)

Infusions can be served hot or cold. In fact, tea and coffee are famous hot infusions since both are made from a plant steeped in water. We believe that cold infusions are more refreshing and keep the medicinal aromas intact. But warm or hot infusions can aid digestion and are enjoyable in the cold weather.