Where European cuisines default to cream for its enriching power in dishes across the savory-sweet spectrum, Jamaicans are very firmly on Team Coconut Milk, an affiliation perhaps adopted from the Indian laborers forcibly repatriated to the island by Her Majesty’s inimitable navy. (Yay for cultural diffusion?) In this era of DIY and everything from scratch, there’s much ado about homemade coconut milk, but this is a clear instance where working smarter beats working harder. The can has the convenience of being a precise, pre-measured quasi-unit (homemade yields are so dependably variable that qualifiers are written into most recipes), is generally more flavor-consistent than homemade, and is an absolute tropical breeze to store, particularly in bulk. Just shake the cans vigorously before opening to ensure even distribution of the fat solids and store leftovers well-wrapped in a cooler part of the fridge. Some of the iconic Jamaican dishes that incorporate coconut milk include.
