Traditionally, coconut milk is acquired through the grating of a brown coconut, mixing the resulting substance with a small amount of water to dissolve the fat present in the grated meat. The grating process itself can be carried out manually or with a more modern grating machine. Several grades of coconut milk exist: from thick at 20-22% fat to thin at 5-7%. Thick milk is prepared by directly squeezing grated coconut meat through cheesecloth. The squeezed coconut meat is then soaked in water and squeezed further to produce thin coconut milk. Thick milk is mainly used to make desserts as well as rich and dry sauces. Thin milk is used for soups and general cooking. This distinction is usually not made in Western nations since fresh coconut milk is rare, and most consumers buy coconut milk in cans.
Coconut water is the watery liquid that usually comes from the young, still immature green coconut, although mature coconuts also have coconut water. The still jelly-like coconut meat is often added to coconut water to make a tropical drink.
Coconut milk can be made at home by processing grated coconut with hot water or milk, which extracts the oil and aromatic compounds. It has then a fat content of 17-24% depending on the fat level of the coconut meat and the quantity of added water. When refrigerated and left to set, coconut cream will rise to the top and separate out from the milk. To avoid this in commercial sold coconut milk, an emulsifier and a stabiliser have to be used