– Manufacture:
– Coconut sugar comes in crystal or granule form, block, or liquid.
– Producing coconut sugar is a two-step process.
– Harvesting or tapping the flower bud stem of a coconut tree initiates the process.
– The sap is collected in bamboo containers and then transferred to woks to evaporate the moisture content.
– The sap transforms into a thick sap syrup, which may further be reduced to crystal, block, or soft paste form.
– Culinary use:
– Coconut sugar is used in Sri Lanka as unrefined syrup or jaggery, known as “pol hakuru.”
– In Indonesian cuisine, it is called “gula jawa” or “gula merah.”
– Indonesian dishes like kecap manis and dendeng are made with coconut sugar.
– Gula melaka, derived from coconut palms, is used in savory dishes and local desserts in Southeast Asia.
– Various dishes like Patoleo and Klepon are prepared using coconut sugar.
– Taste and flavor:
– Coconut sugar is subtly sweet with a hint of caramel, similar to brown sugar.
– The flavor and sweetness can vary based on factors like coconut species, harvest season, and processing method.
– It is commonly compared to table sugar or brown sugar in terms of taste and sweetness.
– Nutrition and health claims:
– Coconut sugar’s nutritive value is similar to empty calories found in table sugar or brown sugar.
– It contains sucrose, glucose, fructose, mannose, inositol, and amino acids.
– The glycemic index of coconut sugar varies, with reports ranging from low to high depending on the source.
– Scientific evidence does not support the claim that coconut sugar is more nutritious or healthier than other sweeteners.
– See also:
– Gula melaka is often made from coconut sugar.
– Jaggery, a form of brown sugar, is sometimes produced using coconut sugar.
– Tubâ, a traditional Filipino alcoholic drink, is made from coconut sap.
Coconut sugar (also known as coco sugar, coconut palm sugar, coco sap sugar or coconut blossom sugar) is a palm sugar produced from the sap of the flower bud stem of the coconut palm.
Other types of palm sugar are made from the kithul palm (Caryota urens), Palmyra palm, the date palm, the sugar date palm, the sago palm or the sugar palm.
Used as a sweetener in many countries, coconut sugar has no significant nutritional or health benefits over other sweeteners.