Coconut Grater (Thailand)

Fully functional, the wooden animal sculpture pictured above is meant to be straddled as the serrated metal attachment is used to scrape the firm, yet delicate meat from the coconut. In Thailand, the kratai khood maprow (“rabbit coconut grate”) was a common household gadget necessary for the preparation of fresh and vibrant coconut dishes.

Earlier appearances of this implement were not designed in the shape of an animal. The original flat wooden stools were nicknamed the kratai (“rabbit”) for the sharp metal “teeth” of the grating edge. While most Thai animal coconut graters are designed in the shape of a rabbit, the featured grater represents the smooth-coated river otter native to Thailand. Notice how the texture lines on its back resemble water waves.