What are Coconut Aminos?
Coconut Aminos - The Coconut Company
Coconut Aminos is a dark, rich, delicious sauce made from the sap of a coconut flower. It’s slightly sweet yet salty and resembles a light soy sauce. The difference being coconut aminos are a soy and gluten free alternative to soy sauce.
They are also naturally fermented and contain only simple ingredients. They are popular with those on the Whole30, Keto or Paleo diets.
Coconut aminos are becoming a popular alternative to soy sauce for flavouring dishes, especially if you require a gluten free diet as part of your daily routine, or are trying to avoid soy based products.
With more and more of us becoming aware of the benefits of specialised diets such as Keto and Paleo, this means the coconut and its many health benefits have been brought into focus.
As well as being soy and gluten free, Coconut Aminos is high in amino acids which are the building blocks of protein which are essential to your nutrition and health. Amino acids are known to enhance the nervous system function and aid muscle repair.
Organic coconut aminos are low in sodium compared to soy sauce and make a good low salt alternative as seasoning for your favourite foods.
Coconut Aminos Health Benefits?
Coconut aminos got their name from the nutrient dense sap of the coconut blossom, which is packed full of natural amino acids and trace minerals, such as potassium and zinc. Amino acids are required by your body for vital processes like the building of proteins and creation of hormones.
For those wanting to avoid soy, they are a natural choice. They also typically contain less salt than regular soy sauce.
However, nothing can beat the health benefits of a good overall diet that is full of lots of fibre, vegetables and fruit. Whilst controlling your salt and sugar intake.
How does it compare to soy sauce?
If you haven’t tried coconut aminos before then you may naturally assume they taste of coconuts! You’d be wrong. Instead the taste is a combination of a salty, slightly sweet umami flavour.
They are 100% plant-based. Usually a little less salty than soy sauce. They go well when paired with vegetables, fish, tofu or protein.
So what’s wrong with soy sauce?
Soybeans are a widely used product and when fermented and processed with other ingredients, it creates soy sauce.
Cheap soy sauces are not naturally fermented and various production techniques using chemical processing aids are used to quicken the fermentation process, which in turn strips the goodness from the original soybean.
They often contain gluten and other additives or preservatives to ensure a very long shelf life. The natural fermentation process and its ‘gut healthy’ bi-products are stripped out. The end product is typically UHT processed (heated to a very high temperature to kill off any remaining good bacteria).
Certain studies have questioned the high level of soy we have in our diets and consumption of soy products have been linked to an adverse effect on female fertility. Highly processed soy products have also been found to have carcinogenic levels of various heavy metals.
However, it’s worth pointing out that the soybean itself is not ‘bad’, but we recommend being aware of your intake and as always adopting a policy of ‘everything in moderation’.
We think natural is best and if you do too, its worth trying out our Coconut Aminos for organic and natural at its best.
Seasoning, Dressings, Marinades or Stir Fry.
If you enjoy Sushi then coconut aminos are perfect to add that additional taste to your meal, they also taste great on steamed vegetables or a stir fry. Simply add a splash like you would soy sauce and heat through.
You can also use it to enhance the flavour of your summer salads and dressings. In this case, just a teaspoon is needed to enliven dressings.
Coconut aminos are great to use as a marinade, particularly for white fish or salmon. Use 2-3 tablespoons and leave in to marinade for a few hours. Alternatively it can be used as a dipping sauce with sushi or rice.
So, how are Coconut Aminos made?
Well, our Coconut Aminos come in three flavours – All-purpose, Teriyaki & BBQ. All three variants are made from natural simple ingredients. The all-purpose variety is our most popular and most similar to soy sauce.
The coconut sap is harvested, filtered and boiled until it becomes slightly syrupy. Garlic, coconut nectar, salt and coconut sugar are then added. Once it cools down, the fresh coconut sap is then added.
This fresh sap is naturally preserved by the salt and sugar ingredients and ensures as many of the essential amino acids are left intact as possible. The final mixture is then filtered and bottled. Simple, pure goodness.
Our Coconut Aminos Teriyaki contain organic ginger, which gives it real zing. Perfect with fish, or vegetables. Our Coconut Aminos BBQ contain a dash of organic coconut vinegar and tarragon, which give it a tangy, sharp taste, which works well with proteins and vegetables too.
So how do you get coconut sap from a tree?
The coconut palms are tapped early in the morning and at night by skilled ‘Tappers’ that climb the tree to make an incision under the coconut flour blossom. From this incision, coconut sap drips slowly into a pail.
The sap has to be taken to the farm quickly for processing, as otherwise it will begin to ferment rapidly in the tropical heat. The farms will either ferment the coconut sap into vinegar, or heat it to make coconut sugar or nectar.
The very best quality sap is left for the coconut aminos, as only fresh sap can be used in the final production step.
In summary, Coconut Aminos offer a natural, organic alternative to the many processed foods on the market. Ours contain only natural simple ingredients and are suitable for those on the Whole30, Paleo or Keto diets.
If you are looking for a naturally fermented sauce, which contains amino acids and less salt, Coconut Aminos may just be your new best friend. Check out some of our recipes containing Coconut Aminos here.