Chalky Nectar of the Gods

Artisana brand Raw Organic Coconut Butter

"It tastes like sweet chalk," my mother says. Well, fine, Ms. Picky Pants. More for me. What I'm talking about of course, is coconut butter. But first let's talk about it's cousin, coconut oil.

If you've been around the internet, perhaps to Mark's Daily Apple, or any other low-carb/paleo blog, you'll know cooking with coconut oil is a good thing. It's full of yummy saturated fats, lauric acid, and MCTs (medium chain triglycerides). It holds up to heat well and doesn't have all the nasty Omega-6's that plague the more unsavory oils like canola (cue ominous music). Some people even recommend taking a tablespoon of coconut oil a day to improve hair, skin, immune system and metabolic health.

How a humble little fat does all this I don't know- but there are real studies out there saying it may be a helpful weight-loss aid because medium-chain-triglycerides are readily absorbed into the blood and used as energy as opposed to being stored as fat. Here's an explanation about this from someone smarter than I: http://www.nutritionreview.org/library/mcts.php

So the general consensus is that we need to eat more of it. Just one problem- it kinda tastes like oil. When you eat a tablespoon full of it- it's not the most pleasant thing ever, at least in my opinion. Of course you can cook your veggies in it, but it adds a sort of fruity flavor and aroma that doesn't go well with everything, especially super-savory dishes. And don't try to cook meat in it unless you're really brave.

So enter coconut butter. This is the most divine stuff ever. Instead of just oil, it's got lots of ground up coconut flesh in there, too. My mother likes to say it's chalky, but I prefer to call it delightfully chalky. Just imagine a delicious almond butter- except made with coconuts. A rich, fatty, coconut flavor with a mild sweetness. But be warned: if you're one of the poor souls (like me) who really need to exert an effort to control your portions, this might be your downfall. It really is that good. With this stuff you'll have no problem getting your daily recommended dose of coconut goodness.

So how many carbs is this treat going to set you back? Let's take a look.

For two tablespoons, it's only 2 net carbs. This stuff has an insane amount of fiber in it. You can't even find five grams of fiber in a bowl of most breakfast cereals. You'll also notice there's only seven servings in this entire jar. Yup, it's a small jar. And it's a little on the more expensive side, unfortunately.

The conclusion here is that coconut butter is good stuff. It's perfect for a quick, low carb dessert (if you don't mind the texture) and is surprisingly filling. Plus, we all probably need a little more lauric acid and MCTs in our diets, anyways. If I find any creative uses for this stuff (other than just diving into the jar spoon-first) then I'll let you know. 'Till then!