Nata de coco is a chewy, translucent jelly made by fermenting coconut water. It needs no cooking and contains no gelatin: you drain the cubes, spoon them into the cup and pour the drink over them. This guide covers what it is, how it is made, what it tastes like and how a café uses it.
Nata de coco is coconut jelly: firm, chewy, translucent cubes made by fermenting coconut water. It is a topping, not a drink base. In bubble tea it goes into the cup instead of, or alongside, tapioca pearls; in desserts it goes into falooda, fruit salads, puddings and jelly drinks. It is ready to serve straight from the pack.
What it is. Jelly cubes made by fermenting coconut water, packed in syrup. Texture. Firm and chewy, a clean bite that holds up in a cold drink. Prep. None: drain and add; rinsing is optional. Portion. About 40 g per 500 ml cup. Diet. No gelatin; our facility is HALAL certified. How we supply it. In 1 kg pouches, plain and flavoured.
Coconut water is fermented with a culture that builds a thick sheet of natural fibre (cellulose) on its surface over one to two weeks. That sheet is cut into cubes, washed and boiled, then packed in a sugar syrup. Flavoured versions are packed in a flavoured syrup.
Because the jelly is set by fermentation rather than by gelatin or agar, it keeps its bite in a cold drink and does not melt the way a gelatin jelly would. It is also why it suits menus that a gelatin-based jelly cannot.
Plain nata de coco tastes of very little on its own, mildly sweet from the packing syrup. People order it for the texture: a firm, springy chew that is lighter than tapioca pearls. Flavoured nata carries the taste of its syrup into the drink, so a lychee or pineapple nata adds flavour as well as bite.
| Nata de coco | Tapioca pearls | Popping boba | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made from | Fermented coconut water | Tapioca (cassava) starch | A thin seaweed-based skin around juice |
| Texture | Firm, springy chew | Soft, dense chew | Bursts when bitten |
| Preparation | Drain and add | Boil and steam | Drain and add |
| Holds in the cup | Keeps its bite | Best served within hours of cooking | Keeps; the skin softens in hot drinks |
For a fuller comparison see tapioca vs popping boba vs nata de coco. Many shops offer all three, and nata is the no-cook option that makes service fastest at the busy hour.
Outside drinks, it goes into falooda, fruit cocktails, custards and jelly desserts. For dessert builds see Boba Desserts.
We make Regular (classic), lychee, pineapple, peach, green apple, coffee and chocolate nata de coco, each in a 1 kg pouch, packed 12 to a case, at our FSSC 22000 certified plant in Hyderabad.
Sealed, our nata de coco keeps 9 months in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Once a pouch is open, keep it in the fridge and use it within a few days.
Nata de coco is a chewy, translucent jelly made by fermenting coconut water. It is cut into cubes and packed in syrup, and it is used as a topping in bubble tea, falooda and desserts.
Coconut water, fermented with a culture that builds a sheet of natural fibre (cellulose) on its surface. Our ingredient list reads: sugar, nata de coco (compressed coconut jelly) and preservative (INS 202).
No. It is ready to serve: drain the syrup off, spoon the cubes into the cup and pour the drink over them. Rinsing is optional.
No. It is set by fermentation, not by gelatin, and our facility holds HALAL certification.
About 40 g per 500 ml cup is the usual portion.
Sealed, 9 months in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Once opened, refrigerate it and use it within a few days.
We make plain and flavoured nata de coco in 1 kg pouches at our FSSC 22000 plant in Hyderabad, and supply cafes, dessert shops and distributors across India.
Outside India? See export & international. Or email sales@theteaplanet.com.