There are many beverages I know nothing about. Don’t ask me to discuss the finer points of coffee or the subtle flavors of wine. I do know a thing or two about tea. And I know a whole lot about coconut water, based entirely on my life experience of being a Trini.
I grew up with a coconut tree in my backyard. If my brother wasn’t drinking coconut water to get over dehydration or my sister wasn’t guzzling one because it’s so refreshing and delicious on a hot day, my dad chopping open a fresh nut for his beloved scotch and coconut water. And if we didn’t want fresh coconut water from the backyard, there was always the option of driving around the Savannah and choosing a vendor from whom to buy your coconut. Nobody chops open a coconut like a Trini. Nobody. Don’t believe me?
Coconut water is a part of life where I’m from. Not so much where I live now—Chicago. Here, my coconut water comes from the supermarket, and most often the flavor’s been blended with another fruit. I reviewed some of my favorite coconut waters a while ago and now the folks at Naked Coconut Water have put me up to a challenge: The Closest to the Coconut Challenge!
Does Naked Coconut Water come close to the real thing? Let me break down my whole experience!
The folks at Naked sent me a package, including Naked Coconut water and two coconuts from Florida. The origin of your coconuts can make a HUGE difference in flavor. Thai coconuts are super sweet and a layman coconut connoisseur can tell the difference between Thai and other nuts. The Florida coconuts tasted very much like the Caribbean coconuts I grew up with—less sweet, but no less refreshing. Opening a coconut is not as hard as you think, especially if you use this cool coconut opening tool! Naked sent me this one, but you can score one for less than $10 on Amazon.
There was a noticeable difference in the clarity — the fresh coconut’s water was clear while the Naked Coconut Water was slightly cloudy. In terms of taste, I did a blind test and yes, I could tell a difference. Naked Coconut Water is best when served cold, and it’s also amazing as a base for smoothies. Fun fact: the water from one coconut contains more potassium as a banana! So if you’re a banana hater like I am, know you’re getting that key component of nutrition here.
My conclusion? I would always prefer to drink coconut water straight from the nut, but since I can’t, I love the availability of brands like Naked to satisfy my coconut water needs. You can follow them @NakedJuice or on Faceook.com/NakedCoconutWater.
This post was sponsored by Naked Coconut Water but trust and believe, these Trini tastebuds and opinions are entirely my own.
As the sister who loves coconut water and also jelly and ever eat coconut from the coconut? – the pieces that you then grate – a coconut is a meal in itself and its fibres can be used to make ropes etc….give me real over canned any day.
I’m not from the island, but my Southern grandfather was known to buy fresh coconuts and give us grands the bounty. I too am a banana hater and I hate the artificiality of sports drinks so coconut water is my best friend. Naked is one of the brands I prefer. I don’t like mine mixed with other stuff and I dislike the cloying sweetness some of the other brands have.
I too like coconut water but have not really drank any since I was young girl. As a believer in a healthy lifestyle, I was surprised to hear that the coconut water of one coconut has the same potassium as a banana. Now that I know that Naked offers coconut water, I will probably buy some because I do miss the taste. I also like the idea of adding some coconut water to a smoothie—yum.
Thanks for this review. Also, what do you do with the meat of the coconut? I have not had a fresh coconut yet, but I just started cutting out all processed foods and am trying to find recipes and foods that are new to me. Thanks!
I’ve only had coconut water once; Not the real stuff…the stuff you get from the Health Food Store.
It tasted like greasy water to me.
Real coconut water sounds so good though.
As a fellow Caribbean sister I must say prefer the real thing rather than the naked. Added bonus to the real coconut is getting to eat he jelly 🙂
Nothing beats the real thing. I’m pregnant and have been trying various brands of shop bought coconut water and I get disappointed EVER TIME :0( Even the ones that are 100% claims perhaps the packing affects the taste, dunno but out of the shell AND fresh is the best. I’ve even tried coconut out of the shell at a restaurant and even then sometimes the taste is a bit strange, perhaps because its been lying around for a while in chilled storage.
I like your suggestion of using the Naked as a base for smoothies. I’ve not tried this particular brand but I reckon I an apply the same thought to the ones I access in the UK :0) Thanks for the tip.
Nothing beats a fresh coconut water and the jelly…especially from round de Savannah! Not a fan of the current crop of coconut waters. Will give the Naked brand a try.
That was pretty impressive! I love coconut water in my homemade spritz. It’s a wonderful drink! Thanks for sharing!
great post, thanks for the results of your taste test
That tool looks interesting but does it open the coconut wide enough to get the meat out too?