Coconut water is the natural liquid inside a coconut. It has surprisingly little flavor. Coconut milk is made by drawing out the coconut flavor using regular water. Coconut cream uses milk to the same end.

In other words, there’s no milk in coconut milk; and no cream in coconut cream.

Coconut cream is easy to make. Get some shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened. Most often it’s in the baking aisle of the supermarket. Alternatively, crack open a coconut and grate the meat. You’ll also need milk.

Put two cups of coconut in a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Heat one cup of milk and slowly pour it through the coconut. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much additional milk as you can.

Rearrange the coconut & cheesecloth in the strainer and repeat with a second cup of milk.