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Coconut Candy

Also known as Coconut Candy (Taba — Full Traditional Method)

Taba — Nigerian Coconut Candy — is the most beloved and widely sold traditional Nigerian sweet, made from freshly grated coconut cooked with sugar until it forms a hard, fragrant, golden candy that can be moulded into shapes or broken into rustic pieces. It is sold at every Nigerian market, school gate, bus stop and celebration, appearing in pink, white and golden forms depending on the addition of food colouring.

Coconut Candy, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 2 big fresh coconuts, grated finely
  • 3 big cups of white sugar
  • 3 big tablespoons of water
  • A pinch of salt
  • Pink or red food colouring — optional, for the traditional pink variety

Method

  1. 01

    Preparing the Coconut. Crack open both coconuts. Pour out and reserve the coconut water. Break out the white flesh, remove any dark skin from the flesh edges, and grate very finely using a box grater. Set the grated coconut aside.

  2. 02

    Making the Caramel. Place the sugar, 3 big tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Then stop stirring. Allow to cook undisturbed, swirling the pan gently occasionally, until the sugar syrup turns a beautiful golden-amber colour — 8 to 12 minutes. Watch very carefully at this stage — the difference between perfect caramel and bitterly burnt sugar is only seconds.

  3. 03

    Adding the Coconut. Once the caramel is golden-amber, quickly add all the grated coconut at once. Stir immediately and vigorously — the mixture will bubble dramatically. Continue stirring over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until the coconut has absorbed the caramel completely and the mixture has thickened, pulling away cleanly from the sides of the pot.

  4. 04

    Colouring — Optional. If making the traditional pink Taba, divide the mixture in half. Add a tiny drop of pink food colouring to one half and stir quickly.

  5. 05

    Moulding and Setting. Working very quickly — the Taba sets fast as it cools — spoon the hot candy mixture into a greased flat tray or press into greased moulds. Alternatively, form into small balls or logs with well-oiled hands. Allow to cool and harden completely at room temperature before breaking apart or unmoulding.

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