Questions concerning
A Taste of Thai

Q: Are coconuts for your coconut milk harvested by monkeys? (Short answer: Never!)

A: A Taste of Thai never has and never will knowingly purchase coconut milk from vendors that use monkeys to harvest coconuts. We require letters of assurance plus photographic evidence from all of our coconut product vendors. Please see images of a recent (monkey-free) coconut harvest below.

Our company has a proud history of helping care for the earth and its creatures, including:

• Long time support of a Thai Asian Elephant Hospital
• Fighting the illegal Asian wildlife trade through the Thai Turtle Trust and www.turtlesurvival.org
• Founding the Gardens for Bees initiative to help endangered pollinators

All of us here at A Taste of Thai take this issue very seriously, and will continue to monitor our vendors for compliance.

Q: How hot are your curries?

A: Heat is a subjective sense, and curries vary in temperature and spice.  It depends on each person’s taste buds and how much curry you are adding to a dish.  However, our individual curries do have different levels of heat:

Panang Curry Paste is what we call our beginner curry.  It tends to be less hot than our other 3 curries, lightly spiced with a bit more sweet and lemon grass tones.

Red Curry Paste is an all-purpose curry for most dishes.  It is hotter than Panang but not as hot as our Green Curry so it tends to be a middle of the road curry.  It is made with green chilies that have sweetened, as they turn red.  It is mixed with galangal, spices and kaffir lime, and tends to go with all entrées.

Green Curry Paste is made with hot green chilies, many spices and white pepper making it our hottest curry.  It is especially good on strong flavored meats and seafood like beef, lamb and swordfish.

Yellow Curry Paste, while distinctly Thai, has Indian spices like mustard, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and many more.  It is especially good with potatoes, chickpeas, fish and poultry.

TIP: If you are a beginner with curry then try a teaspoon less than the recipe calls for.  You can always add more but you can’t take it out!  It is our experience once you start getting used to curry, you start adding more.  It can get addictive, in a good way of course.

Q: Is there glass in my Fish Sauce?

A: It sure does look that way but they are really salt crystals. They are harmless and pretty, once you know they are naturally occurring crystals.

Q: Do I use both envelopes in my Coconut Ginger Soup Base for one recipe?

A: No.  Just follow the recipes, most say 1/2 box or one inner envelope.  It’s all you need, as small as it is, and then you have another envelope for another day! Don’t stop at Tom Ka Gai.  Coconut Ginger Soup Base is wonderful with seafood soups as well!

Q: Can I substitute the Spicy Peanut Bake for Peanut Sauce Mix?

A: Yes.  Even though they are slightly different in flavor and texture, they can be interchanged, if a trip to the store is out of the question.

Q: Are your products gluten free?

A: Yes, all are clearly marked gluten free!

Q: Are your products vegan?

A: With the exception of Fish Sauce, all our products are vegan.

Q: Why is my coconut milk slightly greyish-white?
A: Pure coconut milk is off-white in color. To make it pure white, a food whitener must be added. Most use metabisulfite (a food whitener). We have chosen not to add chemicals to our coconut milk and keep it natural. Therefore its color can be slightly greyish- white.

Q: Does the off-white color affect the flavor of the coconut milk.
A: Absolutely not! By taking metabisulfite (which can cause a chalky flavor) out of our formulation, we don’t have to worry about anything but pure coconut flavors.

Q: What is guar gum and why is it in coconut milk?
A: Guar gum is a plant (GMO free, like our coconuts) in the pea family. It’s grown in Africa and Asia.  Its seed is ground into a fine powder and used as a thickener and stabilizer in foods.

Q: Why does coconut milk separate?
A: When coconut milk gets cold the solids of the milk separate from the liquid; much like oil and water.  Just whisk it together in a bowl or heat it up gently in a pan or microwave.

IN FACT:  In some cases one may want to cause this separation by refrigerating the coconut milk.  That way the heavy cream of the coconut milk can be added to a dessert and the water of the milk can be used for smoothies or drinks of choice.

Q: Can I substitute coconut milk for cow’s milk?
A: Absolutely!  Coconut milk is a great substitute for cow’s milk.  We have found it adds an even better texture (mouth feel) and flavor to almost anything we make with it. Try it in smoothies, sauces, desserts, custards, puddings, ice creams and soups.  The list is endless.

IN FACT: Since Coconut milk has a thicker texture than nut milks (another dairy alternative) it creates a creamier consistency in cooking or baking, much like heavy cream or evaporated milk.

Q: I’ve heard coconut milk is high in saturated fat.  Doesn’t that mean it’s bad for me?
A: No. Coconut milk is a vegetable saturated fat, not an animal saturated fat.  It melts at body temperature so it goes through your system rather than clog your arteries.  It is akin to the ‘good’ fats like avocados and walnuts.  Its medium-chain fatty acid actually raises HDL’s (the “good” cholesterol).

IN FACT: The fats in coconut milk are easier to break down and metabolize than animal fats and contain omega 6, as well as other essential fatty acids.

Q: How long can I refrigerate my coconut milk?
A: We recommend putting any unused coconut milk in a glass or air-tight plastic container and keeping it refrigerated for no longer than 7-10 days.

Q: Can I freeze coconut milk?
A: No, freezing is not recommended.