I drink a lot of coconut water. It balances out all the other toxic stuff I put into my body.
— Rihanna, singer, actress and fashion designer
Have you ever tasted a coconut shake before? It is the latest fashionable drink in Kuching for my younger family members.
I had my first ever coconut shake recently, not in Kuching City which is applying to be recognised as “Creative City of Gastronomy” under Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) but at Kampung Telaga Air, a fishing village about 30 minutes’ car ride from the city.
What is my verdict of the much touted tropical drink? An absolute delight for your taste buds and definite thirst quencher on a hot day. If you have a sweet tooth, you’d love the smooth and sweet flavour of the coconut.
What is coconut shake, you may ask? Is it coconut water that is shaken before being served to you?
Well, a website for foodies describes it as an absolute tropical delight that is prepared by blending toasted coconut, milk, ice cream and sugar.
The coconut shake I had recently did not contain toasted coconut, just plain coconut, maybe milk and certainly ice, ice cream and sugar. It was plain coconut shake topped with one scoop of vanilla ice cream and cost RM7 for a medium size cup. Luckily, it was not shockingly sweet like many modern drinks.
Each of my three other family members ordered different versions of the coconut shake. One had normal coconut shake (RM6), another normal mango shake (RM6) and another normal gula apong (palm sugar) coconut shake (RM6).
Although the drinks were interesting, I thought they were rather expensive for a shop that was located in a fishing village away from the city.
For RM7, I could eat a plate of Foochow fried mee or a bowl of Sarawak laksa or a plate of chicken rice in the city.
Nevertheless, I salute the entrepreneurs responsible for bringing the innovative refreshing drink to Sarawak. I understand coconut shake is popular among local and foreign tourists during the weekends and public holidays.
In Malacca and Singapore, the delicious coconut shake has long been popular among tourists and locals alike.
It is definitely a drink that appeals to the taste buds of the younger adventurous generation.
My niece, Chai Hong, and her friends, for instance, are foodies, ever eager to try out new food and drinks in every nook and corner of the city.
My niece loves the coconut shake and I think she will be introducing it to her friends soon.
I found out that there were two shops which sell coconut shakes in the fishing village but at different prices.
We stopped at a roadside shop before the village proper to buy our drinks.
Later, we saw another coconut shake shop near one of the main jetties in the village.
Thanks to the coconut shake, from now on, for me, Telaga Air will be synonymous with the drink.
I’ve always enjoyed visiting the quiet fishing village. The pace of life there is slower compared to that in Kuching City. It is a good place to relax and chill out with family members. One of my nephews has taken us for a boat ride to the mouth of the river there.
My family members and I visited Kampung Telaga Air recently on a Friday in search of fresh seafood and found it very quiet. The main street was almost deserted. Perhaps it was because of the fasting month and the hot weather that day.
When we arrived, no roadside stalls were open. We learnt that the traders only operated on weekends and during public holidays.
The only people we saw were traders selling seafood which was kept fresh in ice boxes by the roadside in front of some building. We went home with some prawns, horseshoe crabs and fish.
Surprisingly, no one was selling fresh coconuts. Otherwise, we would have gone home with some as well.
If the shops are selling coconut shakes, why don’t the local traders sell fresh coconuts?
With Kuching currently experiencing hot weather, many people are hunting for fresh coconut drinks.
There is a trader who sells fresh coconuts from his van in Tabuan Jaya, Kuching and another who operates from his van at Jalan Stutong.
I often buy fresh coconuts from them. One fresh coconut costs RM4 and from the trader in Tabuan Jaya, you can get three for RM10.
If you order a fresh coconut at a coffeeshop in Tabuan Jaya, you pay RM5.50; I guess that includes the cost of cutting open the coconut and serving you.
If you desperately need a coconut drink to cool down your body and you cannot find fresh coconuts or coconut shakes, you can opt for canned drinks. However, you can buy them from some supermarkets only.
My friends, if you have never tasted a coconut shake before, go and try one today. Just for the fun of it.
In the meantime, stay safe and healthy.
