Types of Coconut Copra You May Find in the Market

You may encounter different terms regarding the types of coconut copra products in the market. Some countries or suppliers, including the ones of coconut product Indonesia, may have different categorizations. We can ascribe it to processes, dying techniques, end products, purposes, and more.   

Of course, the terms or types are interchangeable. Without further ado, let’s get down to the list.

Black vs. White Coconut Copra

They are the most common terms or types used for coconut copra in the global market– black and white—the difference between the two lies in the drying process and the further derivatives. 

After being separated from the shell, a raw material for crude coconut oil (CCO), the coconut meat goes through the sun drying processes for about 5 to 7 days. 

Meanwhile, white copra usually undergoes artificial drying techniques (oven or other devices). The oil produced by white copra is clearer and higher in quality. Many industrial uses of white copra are cooking oil, refined oil, margarine, soaps, cosmetics, pharmaceutical ingredients, and more. 

Wet vs. Dry Coconut Copra

As the name implies, wet copra offers a moist, runny (gooey) texture. The process is simply gouging the flesh out of the shells with the help of a pry tool or a machine. On the other hand, dry copra goes through smoke drying. 

Some also call wet copra as white copra and dry copra as cured copra.

Milling vs. Edible Coconut Copra

Another way to categorize coconut copra, namely milling copra and edible cobra. The first type is the common copra used to extract the oil – crude coconut oil. The second type is usually consumable dried fruit or as religious means in some societies, such as in India. 

Available in different grades, milling copra comes from more modern hot air drying processes today. They will undergo further reprocesses, resulting in fine-grade COO and other derivatives. 

Whereas you can find edible copra, usually in ball or cup shape, different in sizes and colors, and many more. On the contrary, some suppliers may offer this edible copra as the most superior type, having premium quality. 

The list still can go longer due to different reasons for categorizations. For example, you may find whole coconut copra, regular coconut copra, and more. The great variety will also depend on the regions where one buys the coconut copra, such as coconut products from Indonesia.