Introduction

A Coconut Coffee Smoothie is a perfect coffee for a tropical location; you will love it! In Costa Rica, people drink coconuts called “pipas” which are young, small, tan colored hairy coconuts that can be easily found in vegetable stands, supermarkets or sold by vendors calling “Pipa fria!” to the tourists on the beach. The inside contains coconut water and a thin skin of coconut meat. This coconut water is sweet and delicious, a far cry from the coconut water I have tried in the UK or US. The texture of the coconut meat varies from smooth and jelly-like to a little firm – but both are delicious.

Let’s check out the pipa. There are two ends to a pipa, one is pointy like a little tail, and the other end will display 3 circles. Look at the 3 circles and poke a knife or a metal straw into each until you find the one that is soft – that’s the easiest entry point. So, make a little hole with the knife or straw and now shake the pipa, or set it on top of a cup and wait for it to drain. I’m usually impatient so I like to stick the metal straw inside and push it to one side. The coconut water drains out of the straw and the pushing motion allows for air to enter, speeding up the process. Then shake the pipa to see when you have emptied it completely; when your shake results in no noise, you’re done.

This seems difficult but you can do it! In Costa Rica you often see people walking around with machete knives to cut through the jungle growth – everyone has a machete! But if you don’t happen to have one handy, just grab a nice heavy chefs knife. Hold the pipa in one hand and the knife in the other. Repeatedly whack the dull side of the knife against the equator of the pipa. Every few whacks, toss the pipa into the air to slightly change the position where the whack hits. After somewhere between 10 and 50 whacks, depending on what force you use, the noise will abruptly change and sound hollow. That’s when you know you’ve cracked it. So just a few more good whacks and you will see the crack appear. Be careful during those last few because to not pinch the palm of your hand holding the pipa when it finally opens. Then you can pry it open like an egg.

Now you will see what kind of pipa you’ve got. The youngest pipas will have jelly-like interiors which are super easy to just scoop out and add to the blender. Most of the time, I find that the inside is a little bit more firm. So a little focus and attention is needed. Take a large spoon and make a cut into the meat, wedge the spoon inside, and carve it all along the side to separate the meat from the wooden exterior. Then it’s easy enough to push down and separate the middle too. The whole section of white pipa meat will come out whole, with practice, and otherwise it doesn’t really matter, just get it out. Then peel or trim any woody bits off with a sharp knife, and rinse to finish preparing the pipa meat. Your Coconut Coffee Smoothie is nearly ready!

As the final step to create your Coconut Coffee Smoothie, just add the pipa meat, a big handful of ice, and a cup of coffee to the blender. Blend and enjoy!