Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
If you’ve enjoyed eating nasi lemak, curry laksa, rendang, and cendol, chances are santan played a starring role in bringing those rich, delicious flavours to life.
Santan, also known as coconut milk, is a fundamental ingredient in Malaysian cuisine, especially in the traditional Malay and Baba Nyonya dishes. Its rich, creamy texture and distinct flavour help add depth and complexity to flavours. It also functions as a food thickener and helps harmonise flavour and texture.
Santan essentially shapes the aroma, taste, and soul of Malaysian food for different races and cultures. A dish that truly unites Malaysians that has santan in it is nasi lemak, so beloved that it has evolved into countless variations shaped by different cultures and communities.
Also, what do we pack with us or hunt for when we live abroad? Santan is one of them because without this ingredient, our cooking just isn’t the same as back home.
Santan is so deeply woven into our lives that, for many who grew up in small towns, watching it being manually extracted from a coconut stirs a quiet nostalgia. This simple act evokes memories of simpler times and familiar kitchen rituals.
How santan inspires culinary creativity?
Santan’s special flavour and unique ability to add both texture and ‘’lemak’’ depth have inspired chefs and home cooks to innovate beyond traditional recipes.
Santan has become synonymous with Southeast Asian cuisine and is now often used even in non-traditional dishes to lend a distinctive Asian twist.
It’s also seen as a versatile ingredient. Santan is used to reimagine and elevate classic dishes, and it can also balance intense spices in curries. Santan is also increasingly used as a dairy substitute in various cuisines, and can be found in soups, stews, and even in baking.
With the rise of plant-based cooking, innovations like coconut milk powder and creamed santan have made it an even more convenient, high-quality, and versatile ingredient.
All good things come to an end?
Santan is so deeply woven into our lives that it’s easy to assume it will always be in endless supply. However, we may be in trouble already, no thanks to global warming (and possibly overconsumption. Teehee).
So, what’s going on? According to Malay Mail’s February 2025 report, Malaysia is grappling with a coconut supply crunch. The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) noted a drop of up to 50% in local coconut supply in several major markets due to unfavourable weather.
To bridge the gap, Fama, through its subsidiary Famaco, increased imports of mature coconuts from Indonesia to 320 metric tons in December 2024, up from 180 metric tons previously.
Coconuts thrive best in tropical weather; year-round sunshine and regular rainfall. When the weather gets too hot during ‘’musim melawas,’’ coconut flowers drop prematurely and reduce overall yield by 10 to 15%.
‘’Musim melawas’’ is the seasonal dry spell that typically occurs once a year between March and July. Climate change also makes it difficult for farmers to accurately predict these dry spells these days.
The prolonged dry spell also sparked higher demand for young, fresh coconuts. This demand means fewer coconuts were left on trees to fully mature. The supply of mature coconuts, the ones to make santan, started to drop from November onward.
The scarce supply of coconuts also meant prices were hiked by 15 to 20%. Our neighbouring country, Thailand, is also competing with Malaysia for Indonesian coconuts due to the short supply there, too.
What are the current solutions?
Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand aren’t the only ones feeling the coconut shortage. Coconut producers in other parts of the world are feeling the impact due to climate change as well and face slightly different challenges.
To mitigate the effects of climate change, coconut farmers are exploring several strategies to maintain yield.
The first approach is to develop climate-resilient coconut varieties; strains that can better withstand heat and drought. While research is still ongoing, these hardier crops could eventually help farmers in vulnerable regions sustain production despite increasingly unpredictable weather conditions.
Many coconut producers are adopting advanced weather forecasting and early warning systems to prepare for extreme weather events. This helps farmers take preventative measures, such as reinforcing crops or adjusting harvesting schedules before a storm hits.
Farmers are also planting coconuts alongside other trees or crops to help improve resilience against soil erosion. Known as agroforestry practices, planting coconut trees with other crops helps increase biodiversity and improve overall farm sustainability, too.
In Malaysia, coconut yields rebounded in November 2025 due to fast-maturing coconut hybrids.
In August 2025, the Agriculture Department and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) introduced four new hybrid varieties – Mylag, Marleca, Careca, and Careni. These new hybrid varieties mature faster and can be harvested in three to three and a half years, compared to the older Malayan Tall or village varieties that take seven to eight years to bear fruit.
According to Malay Mail, more youths are returning to their hometowns to pursue agriculture as urban job markets become increasingly uncertain. If the trend continues, this may help keep the coconut industry growing and secure.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
Why Santan Rules: Creamy Bliss, Deep Heritage, Zero Substitutes
Entertainment Flash Report
Comments
Post a Comment