Coconut milk shortage

Seems as if the usual places I get my coconut milk from are always empty shelved or have nearly doubled in price. Has anyone else noticed this?

Hi,

I didn't notice, though could it be related to any increased consumption due to Ramadan?

Regards,

i regularly buy coco milk at Sunset, Whole Foods and Fresh Market and the price has not changed appreciably.

Thanks, I'll have to check those places out. The price increase I'm coming across is with coconut milk from Thailand and a can of the Chaokoh brand has nearly doubled. While searching, it seems that a bad harvest along with beetle infestation has affected the prices of coconut milk from Thailand:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink ... n-dry.html

Whoa--you scared me there for a minute. No, haven't noticed a price change (though it's seems like it's harder to find the little 2/3 cup cans).

I have absolutely noticed the price increase, and was going to investigate at some point. Cans are like 2.50 these days. Last can I bought was Goya for 1.79 or so because I couldn't justify the prices of the "Thai" brands.

It's been a while, but I have found coconut milk at a decent price at Trader Joe's.

thaiobsessed wrote:Whoa--you scared me there for a minute. No, haven't noticed a price change (though it's seems like it's harder to find the little 2/3 cup cans).

Haven't looked recently, but my best source for those is the Rogers Park Fruit Market.

I wonder if it's a shortage or a redirection. Suddenly, the shelves in the dairy section are filled with cardboard milk containers of coconut milk, and the aisle where soy milk and rice milk once held sway has now been invaded by shelf-stable coconut milk -- and then there's the coconut milk yogurt.

I'd think the sudden huge surge in mainstream popularity might make the old-fashioned canned stuff go up in price, as coconuts are diverted to the new, exploding market.

$1.59 per can at Tai Nam yesterday. This does seem a bit higher than it used to be (I feel like it's generally been under a dollar but maybe I'm just reminiscing about the good ole days)

thaiobsessed wrote:maybe I'm just reminiscing about the good ole days

i bit the bullet and bought a can that was almost $2. haven't seen the usual $.69 sale in a long while, but when i do, i am going to stock up!

I blame these guys:

Suddenly I feel very, very silly for standing on a chair when I see a mouse....

Pretty sure Bourdain ate one of those, and was gushing about how you could taste the coconut in the ultra fatty, sweet, flesh. Need to procure one of them beasts, and toss em in a pot.

Pretty sure Bourdain ate one of those, and was gushing about how you could taste the coconut in the ultra fatty, sweet, flesh.

From the Wikipedia link:

While coconut crabs can climb trees, and can eventually open a coconut collectively, coconuts are not a significant part of their diet.

Spotted at Shop And Save on Archer:
Chakoah Brand coconut milk, obviously dented cans for 1.29. These were set up in a regular aisle facing south on an end closest to the front of the store but east of the registers. Probably 50 cans or so. Not the greatest price I've ever seen, but the greatest price I've seen lately.

I definitely think the sudden spike in demand must be having something to do with rising prices among traditional forms of coconut milk. Coconut water is now the hot new healthfood, and there are two popular brands of "dairy alternatives" (Silk and SO) that are using coconut heavily (fluid milk, iced desserts, yogurt). So I'm actually seeing more coconut milk, just less in cans.

Just to check out what the new forms are like, I bought a half gallon of the plain Silk Coconut Milk ($3.95). Granted, it's not 100% coconut milk -- there's a bit of water and guar gum to ensure even texture -- but it's almost all coconut milk -- and it's pretty darn good. I wouldn't use it in a Thai curry or anywhere else you want authenticity, but thinning pumpkin soup with coconut milk instead of regular milk was very pleasant, and I look forward to making hot cocoa with it. Plus it's lower in calories and higher in calcium than milk, so just pouring oneself a glass is a delightful possibility. (Did that in lieu of breakfast this morning.)

But there are not an infinite number of places that grow coconuts, so I'd have to imagine that the latest health craze focused on coconut milk must be having an impact on the canned stuff. So, last trip to Assi, I bought a few extra cans, as insurance.

Hi,

At Big Lots yesterday, I saw coconut milk for a dollar a can.

Regards,