Cocada Venezolana
“A thick, creamy coconut drink blended from fresh coconut flesh, milk, and sweetened condensed milk over crushed ice, dusted with cinnamon. The icy roadside refreshment Venezuelans reach for on the way to the beach.”
Where it comes from
A coastal Venezuelan favorite said to have originated in the east (Puerto La Cruz or Margarita) and made famous along the Macuto coast, sold at beachside stands (Mommy's Home Cooking; Living Sweet Moments).
On the plate
Thick and frosty, it floods the mouth with sweet, milky coconut and tiny tender shreds of fresh flesh. The cinnamon adds a warm, spicy perfume against the cold. It drinks somewhere between a milkshake and a slushie, tropical and indulgent on a hot afternoon.
How it works
Blending fresh coconut releases its fat and fiber, which thicken the drink and give it body, while condensed milk adds sugar and a creamy mouthfeel. Crushed ice both chills and aerates the mixture, whipping it into a frosty, semi-frozen texture.
Variations
Spiked with rum for an adult version, blended with coconut ice cream, made dairy-free with coconut milk only, flavored with a touch of vanilla
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓10 min active
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 14 min
Crack open a fresh coconut and scoop out the white flesh.
- 22 min
Chop the coconut flesh roughly and place it in a blender.
- 31 min
Add cold milk, sweetened condensed milk, and a little of the coconut water.
- 41 min
Blend on high until the coconut is fully broken down and the mixture is smooth.
- 51 min
Add a generous handful of crushed ice and blend again until thick and frosty.
- 61 min
Taste and adjust sweetness with more condensed milk if desired.
- 71 min
Pour into tall glasses.
- 81 min
Dust with ground cinnamon and serve ice cold.
