In the quiet village of Desa Tua, there’s a special place called Rumah Desa, where visitors can experience traditional Balinese culture and farming. During my visit, along with two clients, I had the chance to learn how to make coconut oil from my acquaintance, Putu Candra, a local tour guide who demonstrated the entire process—one that requires patience, and certain skill.
The journey began with peeling the coconut husk using a traditional tool, a task that looked effortless in Putu’s hands but clearly required skill. Once the husk was removed, he cracked open the coconut by striking it against a piece of metal—a simple yet effective technique.
Next came extracting the coconut meat. Using a tool called penyeluhan, Putu skillfully removed the white flesh from the shell. He then grated it using a traditional grater but also demonstrated a more modern tool for comparison. Once grated, the coconut was collected in a large bowl, and warm water was added to help squeeze out the rich, creamy coconut milk.
Then came the waiting time. The extracted coconut milk was heated and boiled for four hours, allowing the oil to separate from the water naturally. Slowly, the golden coconut oil surfaced, ready to be scooped and bottled. Putu also explained an alternative method—letting the coconut milk sit for about eight hours without heating to produce virgin coconut oil. This method takes even more time but results in a purer, higher-quality oil.
Watching this process with my clients, we couldn’t help but appreciate the effort and patience involved. It’s easy to buy a bottle of coconut oil at a store, but seeing the traditional process firsthand made us realize how much time and care goes into making something so simple yet valuable.
