[/caption]I was graciously given the opportunity to review some gold label virgin coconut oil from Tropical Traditions not too long ago. I received a full quart of oil! Along with it was a book about coconut oil that also had recipes. I was in cook's heaven.
So what did I think? In one word: Yummo!
One of the recipes was for a simple pot of black beans. We are a bean family. Weird, I know, but that's who we are. Anyway, I put my beans and the other ingredients called for in the crockpot (the recipe was for cooking them on the stove, but I'm a crocker). And then I opened the oil to put it in...
And I was undone.
It smells heavenly! The family drooled the whole time the beans were cooking. Then I was doubly cruel by making them wait until we had potluck lunch at church to eat them. The verdict? Yums from the family and the church members that tried it. When I first tasted them, I thought they were bland, but then the flavors hit, and it's quite good. Not too sweet, not too spicy, you don't feel like you're eating "coconut beans." Just right.
Next I made some sweet and sour chicken with the oil. I had some of those rice packets of veggie fried rice that called for oil, so I used the coconut oil. Michael thought I was crazy. Until he ate it. It blended perfectly with the other flavors and it was some of the best sweet and sour chicken I've made.
Coconut oil has a lot of anecdotal evidence of it's health benefits, even though (of course) it hasn't been endorsed by the FDA. From helping with heart disease and diabetes, to improving energy levels and digestive disorders, people the world over are touting the wonderful properties of coconut oil. I figure it's better to use a virgin, pure oil than to use canola oil or blended vegetable oil regardless of health claims. What is a canola, anyway? What I do know about it is that it smells good, it tastes good, and it's a pure oil so I know exactly what I'm eating. That's enough for me.
I will say I have one complaint: the oil comes in a glass large-mouth jar, which I'm thinking will make it harder to get the oil when I'm running low. I would prefer for it to come in a jar with a typical oil-dispensing top. Other than that, I love it and plan to make regular use of it. Keep your eyes peeled, as I'm working on putting together a giveaway so you can enjoy it for yourself!
Want to know more? Check out this video interview with Tropical Traditions CEO Brian Shilhavy discussing how he discovered coconut oil.
Thanks to Tropical Traditions for a wonderful product and opportunity!
*This is solely the opinion of 3 Stairs. Other people may have different experiences with this product. Thank you to Tropical Traditions for providing a product for this review.*
2 comments:
Interesting article. I have a jar of coconut oil at home, may use it here and there as warranted. I had some cookies at a restaurant recently (chocolate chip, yum) and I believe they used coconut oil in them. It gave the cookies a soft, chewy texture, and gave just a hint of coconut flavor. Yum.There are also some nice cosmetic uses for coconut oil.It's great to mix with olive oil and put on hair to increase shine and strength. Like a "hot oil" treatment from home. Of course, gotta rinse it out eventually...I do this in the winter months as a hair treatment (I'd do it more but my hair is fairly oily to begin with)I think that it's in jar b/c it is generally solid at room temperature. It is here up in northern climates, anyways. Don't know if it can be made "pourable" as canola, corn or olive oils are.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with coconut oil and the tips - I'll have to try the hair treatment this winter!
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