Coconut products: coconut milk, coconut flour and coconut chips

The coconut palm provides a wide range of products for use in the food industry. At August Töpfer & Co., you benefit from our longstanding business relationships. Buy coconut milk, coconut flour and many other products for your individual needs.

Our selection of coconut products

Coconut flakes

The origin of coconut flakes

Known by botanists as Cocos nucifera, the coconut palm characterises the landscape of the tropical and subtropical countries to which it is native like no other plant. People began cultivating coconut palms around 3,000 years ago. Although the name suggests otherwise, the coconut is not actually a nut but a drupe. It has been a food staple and source of raw materials for millennia in its native regions. Today, it is also becoming increasingly popular in Europe and is even being called a superfood. Its versatility, wealth of nutrients and delicious flavour make coconut milk and coconut flakes valuable products for the food industry. Coconut cream and coconut milk are vegan alternatives to milk and cream, and popular components of plant-based diets.

At August Töpfer & Co., you can find a wide range of coconut products from the wholesale trade. Thanks to our many years of experience and close cooperation with our certified business partners in Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, we ensure that you always receive coconut chips and coconut flour fresh and in the best quality. As an experienced international commodity trader in nuts, fruits and seeds, August Töpfer & Co. supplies coconut products to customers all around the world. Get in touch with us at coconut@atco.de.

Cultivation and harvest of coconuts

Coconut palms have been cultivated for around 3,000 years and can be found in the tropical regions of Africa and South America, as well as in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and in the south of India. The plant has spread both naturally and by human influence.

Kokospalmen benötigen ein warmes Klima und einen nährstoffreichen Boden. Sie finden sich im gesamten Tropengürtel und werden bereits seit 3.000 Jahren angebaut. Die Kokosraspeln im Sortiment von August Töpfer & Co. stammen aus Indonesien, Sri Lanka, Vietnam und den Philippinen. (Bild: © Zeshalyn Capindo/unsplash.com) — Coconut palms are sensitive to frost and require a warm, humid climate as well as loose, nutrient-rich soil to flourish. They provide fruits all year round; the coconuts ripen continuously and can therefore always be harvested fresh.

Coconut palms bear fruit all year round, as the coconuts ripen continuously. However, it takes around 12 years before a palm bears its first fruit. Depending on the variety, location and care, a palm can produce up to 150 coconuts per year. (Image: © Nipanan Lifestyle/iStock.com) — The yield of coconut palms is highest between the ages of 15 and 60. Depending on the variety, location and care, a palm can produce up to 150 coconuts per year. When ready to harvest, the young, still green coconut is about the size of a head and has a rather triangular shape.

Most coconuts are harvested by small-scale farmers by hand. Young coconuts are green, triangular and about the size of a head. They primarily contain coconut water. The riper fruits later provide the basis for coconut milk and coconut cream, as well as coconut flakes and coconut flour. (Image: © paulprescott72/iStock.com) — Around 60 million coconuts are produced per year. But plantations are rare for coconut palms. Most coconuts are harvested by small-scale farmers, typically by hand. In some Asian regions, trained monkeys help to harvest the coconuts.

Processing into coconut milk, coconut flour and coconut sugar

A coconut is around 50 percent water and for many inhabitants of tropical regions a vital source for meeting the body’s daily water needs. What’s more, the flesh of the coconut contains an average of around 36 percent fat, four percent protein, nine percent fibre and roughly five percent sugar. The protein contained in coconuts is easily digestible for the human body. The vitamins, minerals and trace elements – including potassium, magnesium, zinc and selenium – also make coconut flesh a valuable source of nutrients.

Apart from the exterior layer, all parts of the coconut can be consumed. The dried fruit flesh of the coconut – also known as copra – is used to make products like coconut chips, coconut flakes and coconut flour. The fat content is then around 60 to 70 percent. Although most of this is saturated fatty acids, the fat of coconuts is considered healthy. The reason for this is the high proportion of lauric and caprylic acid as well as medium-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil is extracted by pressing the copra, and the oil is popular for cooking due to the high smoking point. The remains from pressing provide substantial animal feed. Conversely, coconut sugar is not obtained from the nut but from the nectar of coconut flowers.

Coconut flakes and coconut chips

Coconut flakes and coconut chips are made by blanching and flaking the copra of ripe, older coconuts. Coconut flakes, sometimes in sweetened or roasted form, have been a popular ingredient in sweets, cereals and baked goods in Europe for quite some time. As a result of the growing influence of Asian cuisine, they are now also used increasingly in soups and sauces. Besides the degree of roasting, the products vary primarily in terms of size. At August Töpfer & Co., coconut flakes and coconut chips are among the best-selling wholesale products. We offer coconut flakes extra fine, fine or medium, as required.

Coconut flour

Coconut flour is the dried, very finely ground and partially de-oiled flesh of the ripe coconut. Coconut flour is particularly interesting for its high protein and fibre content as well as the low amount of carbohydrates. As part of a gluten-free diet, coconut flour is also suitable as a substitute for flour in baked goods and as a binding agent in sauces.

The nutritional value of coconut flour per 100 grams:

Protein 17.0 grams
Fat 16.5 grams
Carbohydrates 17.0 grams (of which 15.0 grams sugar)

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is the product of the ground, dried and pressed flesh of the fruit. The oil only liquifies at a temperature of around 23 °C and is therefore typically solid in temperate latitudes. The aromatic white oil is also traditionally used for body care and as a component in cosmetic products. Coconut oil is also incredibly versatile as a cooking oil thanks to its heat stability. It is considered a superfood primarily due to its medium-chain fatty acids as well as antibacterial and antifungal effects.

Coconut milk and coconut cream

Coconut cream and coconut milk are extracted by shredding the fresh flesh of ripe coconuts, before soaking them with water and then pressing them. The milky-white liquid has a fat content of around 17 to 24 percent. Coconut milk is excellent as a basis for sauces as well as in baked goods and drinks as a vegan substitute for cream and milk. Coconut cream has a somewhat firmer consistency due to the lower water content and is particularly suitable for desserts and sweet dishes. The shelf life of coconut milk is almost unlimited in a sealed container, but once opened it should be consumed within a few days. At August Töpfer & Co., you can buy coconut milk and coconut cream wholesale as an aromatic ingredient for use in the food industry.

Coconut sugar

Coconut sugar is the only product from the coconut palm not obtained from the coconut. Coconut sugar is made by cooking, crystallising and grinding the nectar of the coconut flower. The nectar is obtained by hand, which makes the production of coconut sugar and nectar rather cost-intensive. In the native regions where the coconut palm grows, coconut nectar is also a popular sweetener. Coconut sugar is becoming increasingly popular in Europe due to the caramel-like flavour and the assumed lower glycaemic index.

Our coconut products are certified:

Coconut products at August Töpfer & Co.

At August Töpfer & Co., you can buy coconut milk, coconut flour and many other coconut products in top wholesale quality and at fair prices. We source our raw materials from longstanding business partners in the countries of origin. Packing takes place at our location in Hamburg, which ensures the constant control of product quality at all times. Our customers include leading European wholesalers, retailers and discount companies as well as the food and confectionery industry. Our team will be happy to assist you with any questions about our coconut product range and provide you with an individual offer. Get in touch with us!