My Buko Salad Recipe (Filipino Coconut Salad)

Buko Salad Recipe

Buko Salad

A sweet and refreshing salad dish featuring fresh young coconut strips, sweetened milk or cream, and other ingredients.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Freezing Time 8 hours
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Filipino
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups young coconut shredded
  • 1 can 30 ounces fruit cocktail or tropical fruit mix, drained
  • 1 can 8 ounces pineapple tidbits, drained
  • 1 can 15 ounces sweet corn kernels, drained
  • 1 bottle 12 ounces kaong (sugar palm fruit), drained
  • 1 bottle 12 ounces nata de coco (coconut jelly), drained
  • 1 cup processed cheese grated
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces
  • 1 can all-purpose cream 14 ounces

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine shredded young coconut, drained fruit cocktail, pineapple tidbits, corn kernels, kaong, nata de coco, grated cheese, condensed milk, and all-purpose cream.
  • Gently stir the mixture to distribute all the ingredients evenly.
  • Chill the salad in the refrigerator for a few hours, or for a firmer texture, freeze it for about 8 hours until firm.

Details Behind My Buko Salad Recipe

Buko Salad Recipe – Several dishes in Filipino cuisine utilize coconut and buko salad is one of them. Buko salad, also called young coconut salad, is a popular Filipino dessert made with fresh young coconut strips, sweetened milk or cream, and other ingredients. It’s commonly served at celebrations and gatherings. By changing the milk ratio, it can turn into a chilled beverage known as samalamig. There’s also a frozen version called ice buko for a cooler treat.

Generally, there is a lot you can do with young coconut in Filipino cuisine, whether sweet or savory. While it may be a simple salad recipe, there are different tips to make the dish better.

Additional Notes on My Buko Salad Recipe

For the best Filipino fruit salad, keep these tips handy: Expect it to be less sweet when cold or frozen, so adjust sugar levels as needed. To keep fresh fruits like apples or bananas from browning, just add a splash of lemon juice. Making the salad is simple – just mix everything in a big bowl. While you can serve it right away, it’s tastier if chilled for a few hours or frozen until firm. Enjoy it after a meal or as a snack. To keep leftovers fresh, store them in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto the top to prevent ice from forming.

Variants of Buko Salad

Like many Filipino desserts, there are many variations of buko salad. A popular variation of this dish is buko pandan. Buko pandan is a refreshing dessert featuring coconut and pandan-flavored jelly. Pandan, also known as screwpine leaves, adds a sweet floral aroma to dishes. Used as a flavoring in various Asian desserts, pandan lends its vibrant color and delightful flavor to the jelly in buko pandan. This fruit salad is best savored chilled, making it a perfect treat for hot days.

Other Buko Desserts

If you want to explore other types of desserts with coconut, one option to try is bukayo. Bukayo is a traditional sweet in the Philippines crafted from young coconut meat and sugar. Originating in Lingayen, Pangasinan, it goes by various names such as bucaio, bucayo, bukhayo, pakumbo, or bocarillo across different provinces. The preparation involves simmering coconut strings in a caramelized syrup made from coconut water and ‘panutsa de bao’ or ‘sinakob,’ a raw sugar variant. Once cooked, the mixture is formed into round patties or balls and left to dry until it reaches a delightful chewy texture.

Baked Buko Desserts

Do you like baked goods? Then you’ll be happy to know there is a selection of baked goods featuring buko. One example of this is buko pie. Buko pie is a classic Filipino dessert pie filled with young coconut and custard. Apart from the traditional version, there are variations infused with flavors like pandan and vanilla. The filling typically consists of a blend of young coconut and custard made with condensed milk. Unlike American coconut pies, buko pie skips cream and is often topped with a flaky pastry crust.

Another option is buko pandan cake. Buko pandan cake is a delicious Filipino dessert that combines buko pandan flavors into a delightful cake. Made from chiffon or sponge cake, it gains its unique taste from boiled pandan leaves. What makes it special is the creamy frosting and the addition of young coconut strips or macapuno. Unlike regular pandan cakes, buko pandan cake offers a perfect balance of sweetness and tropical flavors, making it a popular choice for dessert lovers.

Overall there is a variety of ways to enjoy young coconut in Filipino cuisine and a variety of flavors to explore.

Buko Salad Recipe

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