Coconuts are much larger and fleshier than other nuts, often the size of a football, with a shaggy coat that is usually removed before sale to make matting. Coconut liquid, from inside the nut, is not to be confused with the coconut milk that is made by infusing grated coconut in milk or water. In tropical Asia and Africa where the coconut is cultivated, the nut is often gathered still green and immature, when the jelly-like meat is soft and the liquid clear. In the West, coconuts reach the markets fully ripened, with a brown skin and solid meat surrounding the milky liquid. When choosing a coconut, shake it to listen for the splash of liquid; stale coconuts contain little liquid.