Coconut milk is the liquid extracted from grated coconut flesh steeped in hot water, strained to remove solids. It is the primary fat and liquid component of most Southeast Asian curries and many desserts. ‘Coconut milk’ and ‘coconut cream’ differ in fat content rather than type.
Coconut milk vs coconut cream
Coconut milk (canned, ~18–24% fat): The shaken, homogenised product in standard cans. Used as the cooking liquid for curries and soups. One standard can (400 ml) contains sufficient liquid for a single curry portion.
Coconut cream (thick cream layer, ~24–33% fat): The thick layer that separates to the top of an unshaken can of coconut milk. In Thai cooking, this is scooped out and fried separately to ‘crack’ the emulsion before adding curry paste — the released coconut oil fries the paste. Also sold separately as coconut cream (higher fat content).
Light coconut milk (~7–9% fat): Reduced fat version. Produces a thinner, less rich sauce and does not crack properly for Thai curry technique. Not recommended for authentic Thai curries.
The cracking technique
For Thai curries: open can without shaking. Spoon thick cream from top into hot wok. Cook, stirring, until the cream separates — the oil visibly pools around a lumpy, textured mass. This is the cracking point. Add curry paste to the hot oil and fry for 2–3 minutes. The coconut oil is now the frying medium. Then add remaining thin milk.
Coconut milk that will not crack has been overly homogenised (most Western brands) or has had stabilisers added. Thai brands (Aroy-D, Chaokoh, Mae Ploy) tend to crack more reliably.
Fresh vs canned
Freshly pressed coconut milk (available in Southeast Asian markets daily) has a cleaner, more floral flavour. Canned coconut milk is pasteurised and has a slightly cooked note. For dishes where coconut milk is the primary flavour (coconut ice cream, mango sticky rice sauce), fresh is noticeably better. For curries where it is one component among many, canned is equivalent.
Freezing
Canned coconut milk freezes well. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator; stir or shake after thawing. The fat may separate slightly but recombines with stirring. Do not refreeze once thawed.