It’s official- I do hereby declare 2009 the year of the coconut! This tropical trend has swept vegans everywhere off their feet, eliciting a near fanatical response every time it pops up somewhere new. Of course, it seems to be making cameo appearances in cutting-edge products on a practically daily basis, making up the base for everything from ice cream to yogurt… And now, to kefir.

Those crazy scientists at Turtle Mountain are on a roll, unveiling delight after delight- And all with coconut milk as the star. This particular beverage was something completely new to me, but in fact, it’s been around for centuries as a dairy product. Essentially a fermented milk drink, Kefir is generally described as a tangy milkshake. Supposedly very beneficial to digestion, it also comes with a whole laundry list of theoretical health benefits as well. What I wanted to know, however, was how it tastes! Happily, those same crazy scientists are also very generous, and sent me a few samples so that I could find out.

Hoping to get a baseline for what this drink would be like, I opted to try the Original flavor first. Casually taking a quick sip, I stopped short once the kefir hit my taste buds- Man, is this stuff tart! Much more “tangy” than I had expected and in fact downright sour, I would not recommend drinking this plain. That’s not to say that it’s bad, though, as I found that it made a fantastic “buttermilk” substitute in baking, and a wonderful addition to fruit smoothies. Only faintly coconut-y, the flavor is not too intrusive here, and just a pleasant undertone.

Taking a more cautious sip of the Vanilla kefir, I was happy to find that this perfectly smooth and white beverage was quite drinkable indeed. Just barely sweetened, it’s enough to take that “bite” out of this flavor. Very similar to a thin, drinkable yogurt, it’s a great drink to have as part of a meal on the go, or a nice, light snack.

Finally, the one I was most curious about: Strawberry. This pale, pastel-pink liquid, flecked with real strawberry seeds, smelled strongly of fresh berries from the moment I popped off the lid. Although the flavor is actually much more mild that the scent might suggest, it’s also far tangier than your typical berry-based drink. Hardly sweet at all, this is no kid’s juice box affair in the least. Although I wasn’t crazy about it initially, the flavor did grow on me, and it became even more tasty when blended with more whole strawberries.

Kefir itself is a very unique sort of beverage, as I’ve come to learn, and while I’ve never had the “real” thing, I think that this coconut version is very true to that original model.

[Written for Go Dairy Free]

Quick, name one dessert accompaniment that goes well with absolutely every sweet dish imaginable. How could any single thing go well with such infinite flavor and textural possibilities? Easy- Just reach for the whipped cream. Lightly sweetened and enhanced with just a drop of vanilla extract, this classic confection accompaniment is almost universally loved by both young and old, serious sweets lovers and occasional enthusiasts, often piled on in voluminous mountains of fluffy white cream. However, for those who seek dairy-free options, the alternatives are still rather dismal. If I had a dime for every “tofu whipped cream” recipe I saw authors trying to fob off as an appropriate substitute, well… You know how it goes. It’s just a shame that those approaches almost always result in a heavy glob that merely tastes like sweetened bean curd.

Before you start bemoaning the lack of a vegan version, fear not, as this field is rapidly expanding! Now, not too long after the heaven-sent Soyatoo whipped topping hit US shelves and offered the first viable taste of luscious, vegan cream, there’s something new to get excited about: Rice Whip. Yes, you heard me right, a rice-based, aerosol whipped cream, completely vegan and soy-free!

Perfectly light and fluffy, the texture is everything you could ask for- Plus, the aerosol container makes dispensing each serving fun and easy. Clearly created to provide contrast to even the heaviest dessert, this pillowy fluff isn’t the least bit sweet by itself, but picks up just enough sweetness when eaten together with a more sugary main dish. For those seeking a vegan, soy-alternative to whipped cream, run, don’t walk to your nearest health food store, and stock up on this unique new product!

For those with no trouble digesting soy, however, I will admit that I still prefer the standard Soy Whip over this one. It’s a very faint aftertaste, but if you look for it, there’s just a hint of starchy rice flavor that I detect in the Rice Whip which detracts from the overall experience.  Such an offense is very minor, of course, and choosing this creamy topping over anything else would certainly be no sacrifice!