Buko Salad Samalamig (Young Coconut Salad Drink)

Samalamig or Palamig is an iced beverage that contains coconut milk, buko or young coconut flesh, sago (tapioca pearls) and gulaman (agar jelly.)  It is usually sweetened with arnibal (sugar syrup) or condensed milk and flavored with different fruit exctracts.  The words palamig and samalamig is derived from the word "lamig" which means cold.  This cooler or refreshing drink is available almost in every street corner of Manila and other places in the Philippines.

Buko Salad Samalamig or Palamig is a sweet drink or cooler with ingredients similar to the popular Filipino dessert Buko Salad except for the use of coconut water and coconut milk.  It is made with coconut water, coconut milk, tapioca pearls, gelatin, young coconut flesh, kaong or sugar palm fruit and nata de coco or sweetened fermented coconut water. Coconut has several names in the Philippines with each referring to a different meaning.  Buko refers to a young coconut while niyog refers to the mature coconut.   The flesh of the young coconut is used for making dessert salads and sweet drinks.  The tougher meat of the mature coconut is grated and extracted for its coconut cream or kakang gata.  Water is added to the grated coconut meat and extracted for its coconut milk or gata. 

Buko Salad Samalamig

Prep Time:  50 minutes

Yield:  8 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 cups coconut water
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 12 oz. kaong
• 12 oz. nata de coco
• 2 cups young coconut flesh, shredded
• 2 cups gelatin, red and/or green, diced in 1/2 inch cubes (Recipe here)
• 12 oz. cooked sago or tapioca pearls (Recipe here)
• 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
• ice cubes for serving
  

Procedure:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Stir well. 
2. Chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
3. Serve chilled over ice in a glass.
   

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