Coconut milk in the context of "Polynesian cuisine"

Plant milk is a category of non-dairy beverages made from a water-based plant extract for flavoring and aroma. Nut milk is a subcategory made from nuts, while other plant milks may be created from grains, pseudocereals, legumes, seeds or endosperm. Plant-based milks are consumed as alternatives to dairy milk and provide similar qualities, such as a creamy mouthfeel, as well as a bland or palatable taste. Many are sweetened or flavored (e.g., vanilla).

As of 2021, there were about 17 different types of plant milks, of which almond, oat, soy, coconut and pea are the highest-selling worldwide. Production of plant milks—particularly soy, oat, and pea milks—can offer environmental advantages over animal milks in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and land and water use.

The coconut (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the palm family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus Cocos. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can denote the whole coconut palm tree or the large hard fruit. Originally native to Central Indo-Pacific, they are ubiquitous in coastal tropical regions.

The coconut tree provides food, fuel, cosmetics, folk medicine and building materials. The inner flesh of the mature fruit forms a regular part of the diets of many people in the tropics and subtropics. Coconut endosperm contains a large quantity of a liquid, "coconut water". Mature coconuts can be processed for oil and coconut milk from the flesh, charcoal from the hard shell, and coir from the fibrous husk. Dried coconut flesh is called copra, and the oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and in soaps and cosmetics. Sweet coconut sap can be made into drinks or fermented into palm wine or coconut vinegar. The hard shells, fibrous husks and long pinnate leaves are used to make a products for furnishing and decoration.

Curry, a spicy dish derived from Indian cooking by way of British Raj-era Anglo-Indian cuisine, is popular in the United Kingdom. Curry recipes have been printed in Britain since 1747, when Hannah Glasse gave a recipe for a chicken "currey the India way". Curry powder was first advertised in 1784. In the 19th century, many more recipes appeared in the popular cookery books of the time. Curries in Britain are widely described with Indian terms, not necessarily used for the same dishes or even known in India. For example, korma is a mild sauce with almond and coconut; Madras has a hot, slightly sour sauce; phall denotes an extra hot sauce, and pasanda means a mild sauce with cream and coconut milk. One type of curry, chicken tikka masala, has become widespread enough to be described as a national dish.

A milkshake (sometimes simply called a shake) is a sweet beverage made by blending milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners such as butterscotch, caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, or fruit syrup into a thick, sweet, cold mixture. It may also be made using a base made from non-dairy products, including plant milks such as almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk. Dry ingredients such as whole fruit, nuts, seeds, candy, or cookies may be incorporated.

Milkshakes originated in the United States around the turn of the 20th century and gained widespread popularity after the introduction of electric blenders in the following decades. During this period, ice cream shops became popular social gathering spots for young people, and milkshakes came to symbolize the simplicity and innocence of youth culture.

A press cake or oil cake is the solid matter remaining after pressing something to extract the liquids. Their most common use is in animal feed.

Some foods whose processing creates press cakes are olives for olive oil (pomace), peanuts for peanut oil, coconut flesh for coconut cream and milk (sapal), grapes for wine (pomace), apples for cider (pomace), mustard cake, and soybeans for soy milk (used to make tofu) (this is called soy pulp) or oil. Other common press cakes come from flax seed (linseed), cottonseed, and sunflower seeds. However, some specific kinds may be toxic, and are rather used as fertilizer; for example, cottonseed contains a toxic pigment, gossypol, that must be removed before processing.

Padang cuisine or Minangkabau cuisine is the cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines in Maritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia as masakan Padang after Padang, the capital city of Western Sumatra province. It is served in restaurants mostly owned by perantauan (migrating) Minangkabau people in Indonesian cities. Padang food is ubiquitous in Indonesian cities and is popular in neighboring Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, and Singapore.

Padang food is famous for its use of coconut milk and spicy chili. Minang cuisine consists of three main elements: gulai (curry), lado (chili pepper) and bareh (rice). Among the cooking traditions in Indonesian cuisine, Minangkabau cuisine and most of Sumatran cuisine are influenced by Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, with dishes cooked in curry sauce with coconut milk and a wide variety of spice mixes.