In Vietnam, families eat many kinds of mứt (candied jams) over Tết, the Lunar New Year, and mứt dừa is one of them. It’s made from coconut meat, sugar and milk: the coconut is cut into long ribbons, left to soak up the sugar, then cooked slowly in milk until dry. It’s a jam to set out for guests at Tết, but you don’t need a holiday to make it. Plan ahead: the coconut soaks in water for 7–8 hours, sits in sugar for 10–12 hours, and rests for 1 day after cooking. Ingredients 2–3 coconuts, not too old and not too young 500 g white sugar 250 ml fresh unsweetened milk 1 teaspoon vanilla How to make mứt dừa 1. Prepare the coconut Separate the coconut meat from the shell. With a knife, scrape off the brown skin around the meat until it’s all white. Rinse the coconut meat carefully again and let it dry. 2. Cut and soak Run the knife around the coconut meat to cut it into long strips. You should end up with about 1 kg of sliced coconut. Soak the strips in cold water for 7–8 hours. Rinse them again with cold water and let them dry. 3. Sugar the coconut This step is where the jam gets its flavour. Put the coconut strips in a bowl, add the sugar and mix well with chopsticks. Leave it for 10–12 hours. 4. Cook in milk Put the sugared coconut into a large pot or pan, add the milk and cook over low heat. After about 15–20 minutes, stir well with chopsticks. Keep cooking over low heat for 45–60 minutes, until the coconut is dry. The strips will also turn yellow. 5. Cool and rest Let the coconut cool, then spread it out well in a large basket and leave it for 1 day before serving. Store it in a jar and eat it a little at a time. Share:
