Palm Sugar: Thailand’s More Delicious Alternative to Refined Sugar

[snoop1130]

Sugar is one of those things that many of us just can’t get enough of. After all, it’s chemically designed to stimulate the brain’s dopamine system. Most of us are predominantly presented with one of two options: brown sugar and white sugar. But what if there was a better, more tasty sugar? Enter palm sugar — Thailand’s delicious natural sweetener.

 

Read on to learn exactly what is palm sugar, what it tastes like, which Thai dishes use palm sugar, and some surprising facts about this crop.

 

What is palm sugar?

 

 

Palm sugar or nam taan tanod is actually very similar to maple syrup in many ways. It’s made by collecting the sap of the toddy palm flowers. The sap is then boiled until it thickens — first into a syrup and then eventually into solid sugar crystals. These crystals are collected and often sold as bricks or cakes in Thailand, which are sometimes called jaggery. In other countries, you might be able to find palm sugar as a paste. Palm sugar should not be confused with coconut sugar (nam taan maprao), which is made in much the same way but from coconut trees instead of toddy palms.

 

While Thailand has lush palm trees all over the country, Phetchaburi province is the best known for the toddy palms that are used to make sugar. The tree is also called a fan palm, as its leaves look a bit like a handheld fan or a rake. Incidentally, the fruit of the tree is also quite delicious, with sweet jelly seed sockets that have an enticing floral coconut flavor.

 

Toddy palms grow exceedingly well in this region of the country and it’s no wonder that palm sugar found in Phetchaburi is considered some of the best in the world. In fact, the province was recently recognized as a City of Gastronomy, partly due to its sweet, not-so-secret ingredient.

 

Why does palm sugar hit different?

 

Here, it’s important to understand the difference between white and brown sugar. White sugar is usually made from the juices of sugar cane or sugar beets. The juices are processed into crystals and spun to remove all the liquid, which become molasses. Brown sugar, on the other hand, still contains some of these molasses. This is why brown sugar often has more of a flavor than white sugar and why it often clumps up in the box (higher moisture content).

 

Palm sugar is what’s called raw or unrefined sugar because it contains most of the original molasses. This means it isn’t nearly as sweet as refined sugar. Good palm sugar tastes like coconut fudge. You can eat it right off of a spoon and you would be forgiven for thinking it was a delectable dessert unto itself. For those who are a fan of coconuts, palm sugar is undoubtedly an excellent alternative to other more common sugars.

 

How is palm sugar used?

 

 

Palm sugar is used in all sorts of famous Thai dishes. As you might expect, it’s used in many Thai desserts like khanom tuay and khanom taan. 

 

However, it’s also commonly seen in papaya salad (som tam), green curry (kaeng khiew waan), Pad Thai, and chili dipping sauce (nam jim jaew) – just to name a few. After all, Thai cuisine is all about a balance of flavors, so perhaps it’s no surprise that savory spicy dishes benefit from a bit of sweetness. In fact, if you’ve had authentic Thai food, there’s a good chance you’ve already tasted palm sugar!

 

 

Unlike some other exotic ingredients, palm sugar is actually very affordable. In Thailand, you can probably pick up a ½ kg cake for just 100 baht at your local market. It also makes for an excellent gift for friends who take a little sugar with their coffee or love to bake.

 

Palm sugar has that hint of coconut which pairs excellently with Southeast Asian ingredients, but has the potential to yield new flavor combinations in Western dishes. Try it out for yourself and let us know how it goes!

 

A greener crop

 

 

The sugar palm is quite sustainable, particularly in its ability to produce an incredible amount of useful bio-product, even when planted in degraded soil.

 

Perhaps the best way to illustrate this is to compare the sugar palm with another tree that’s famous for producing sugary substances: the maple tree. While the sugar collection between toddy palms and maple trees is similar, there are some big key differences that really set the toddy palm apart as the more sustainable option.

 

Sugar palms begin to produce flowers once they are 15 years old. Maple trees are rarely tapped until they are 40 years old. 

 

The toddy palm can be harvested for 4-5 months out of the year at an average of 4.5kg of sap per day or about 108 kg of sugar per year. Compare that to a maple tree, which produces 45 liters of tapped sap per year or just 1 liter of maple syrup (1.33 kg) per year.

 

A Food and Agriculture Organization report finds that palm sugar, when harvested using traditional techniques, is a largely sustainable industry with minimal environmental impact, even when compared to traditional sugar cane farming.

 

 

For the foodies out there who love to experience new ingredients or simply for those with a sweet tooth — alternative sweeteners like palm sugar can open up a whole new world of flavor.

 

By Michael Sopon New

Caption 1: Source: NilaSito / Shutterstock.com

Caption 2: Left: Khanom tuay, Source: Vassamon Anansukk / Shutterstock.com. Right: Khanom taan, Source: Kritchai7752 / Shutterstock.com

Caption 3: Source: Agave Photo Studio / Shutterstock.com

Caption 4: Source: K.Decha / Shutterstock.com

Caption 5: Source: Browneye / Shutterstock.com

 

Full story: THAILAND NOW 2023-09-26

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[save the frogs]

why bother?

refined sugar is good for you.

sorry, i'm too lazy to post reputable links to back up that claim. 

 

[scubascuba3]

White sugar 25 baht a kg, palm sugar 200 baht a kg, can't see it catching on, but interesting post about it.

 

I eat lots of sugar every day, smash it in during exercise and in smoothies, makes drinks taste better, lowers cortisol and don't forget dopamine effect

[bob smith]

White sugar is as bad for you as smoking.

 

Brown sugar, unrefined powder is where it's at! 

[KannikaP]

5 months = 150 days @ 4.5 kg = 675 kg of SAP. Only 108 kg of sugar doesn't seem much.

Edited September 26, 2023 by KannikaP

[KannikaP]

10 minutes ago, bob smith said:

White sugar is as bad for you as smoking.

 

Brown sugar, unrefined powder is where it's at! 

Cannot understand how white sugar can be bad for you as it is brown sugar with stuff taken out. Same as white and wholemeal bread. 

[bob smith]

8 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Cannot understand how white sugar can be bad for you as it is brown sugar with stuff taken out. Same as white and wholemeal bread. 

powdered brown sugar cane is natural, ie nothing added to it, it hasn't been concentrated and no extra chemicals added.

 

its not rocket science. 

[rwill]

My wife buys palm sugar from a place in Samut Songkram.

Anyway the guy has told us that a lot of the palm sugar for sale is not pure, that they cut it with cane sugar.

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Most of us are predominantly presented with one of two options: brown sugar and white sugar.

No sugar is my option.

[HappyExpat57]

11 hours ago, save the frogs said:

why bother?

refined sugar is good for you.

sorry, i'm too lazy to post reputable links to back up that claim. 

 

Not sure if you are just joking or are honestly ignorant to how unhealthy refined sugar is for the human body. Maybe you consume too much, hence the "too lazy" status.

[HappyExpat57]

Good news for diabetics with a sweet tooth:
 

https://www.sugarfit.com/blog/palm-sugar-for-diabetes/

[save the frogs]

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Not sure if you are just joking or are honestly ignorant to how unhealthy refined sugar is for the human body. Maybe you consume too much, hence the "too lazy" status.

Nah, it was sarcasm. 

As there are several folks on here constantly claiming that refined sugar is good for you. 

Sorry, stupid joke. I was tired when i posted i guess.

 

My real opinion is use healthy alternatives to refined sugar when possible, like this here in the OP. Even though it will cost a lot more, it's worth it. 

If you can find some good quality honey, go for it.

And also eat some fruit to curb sugar cravings. 

 

Here's one doctor's opinion. Sugar damages collagen and affects every organ in the body. 

 

[KhunLA]

Sugar sugar sugar ... it's still a sugar, and moderation is best.

 

True palm sugar does seem to be a better choice.  Natural sugar next in line.  White sugar, a notch or few below, since lacking most nutrients.

 

I don't use enough to be concerned about any.  Seems a bit pricy to me, and how to know if you're getting the real thing.

 

I even stopped adding sugar to my morning coffee as changed the coffee/water ratio, so not bitter at all.  Find myself refraining from any added sugar at home, and save that joy for my pastry & ice cream stops.

 

3 scoops of Swensen's yesterday, so enough sugar for this week.

[Drumbuie]

13 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Cannot understand how white sugar can be bad for you as it is brown sugar with stuff taken out. Same as white and wholemeal bread. 

Oh, dear. The "stuff" that is taken out is nutrients. What's left is just calories - and a fast track to diabetes. 

[KannikaP]

45 minutes ago, Drumbuie said:

Oh, dear. The "stuff" that is taken out is nutrients. What's left is just calories - and a fast track to diabetes. 

Are the calories not in the sugar before it is refined?

[KhunLA]

Just about everything is bad for you, IF, you don't burn off the excess taken in.

 

You need everything, almost, and balancing intake seems to be a win or loss for many.

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

Are the calories not in the sugar before it is refined?

I think as brown sugar has more natural taste you'll maybe use less of it. Also I don't know how many calories per gramme in white vs. brown.

[KhunLA]

7 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

I think as brown sugar has more natural taste you'll maybe use less of it. Also I don't know how many calories per gramme in white vs. brown.

source

 

Calories aren't really the issue, unless you're eating a lot.  (1 tsp = 4.2gr)

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by KhunLA

[Speedhump]

I wonder how it tastes in English breakfast tea? I don't really drink tea now, but take a very small amount of caramel syrup in my morning triple espresso instead of brown sugar. I know it's empty calories, but it's a tiny amount. 555

[JimTripper]

16 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

White sugar 25 baht a kg, palm sugar 200 baht a kg, can't see it catching on, but interesting post about it.

 

I eat lots of sugar every day, smash it in during exercise and in smoothies, makes drinks taste better, lowers cortisol and don't forget dopamine effect

Could be the reason you’re fat. Start working out and stop eating so much sugar.

Edited September 27, 2023 by JimTripper

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, JimTripper said:

Could be the reason you’re fat. Start working out and stop eating so much sugar.

I'm fit, athletic and healthy thanks, how's sitting around in Buakhao bars working out for you?

[PETERTHEEATER]

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

coconut sugar (nam taan maprao), which is made in much the same way but from coconut trees instead of toddy palms.

No wonder it has such a chewy texture but, high in fibre. ????

[save the frogs]

8 hours ago, KhunLA said:

3 scoops of Swensen's yesterday, so enough sugar for this week.

if you have a weakness for ice cream, consider getting an ice cream machine and making your own from scratch. 

 

 

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

if you have a weakness for ice cream, consider getting an ice cream machine and making your own from scratch. 

 

 

I have one, and does make excellent ice cream, especially chocolate.  But without the 'additives' and low temp freezer, the consistency/smoothness is hard to get, unless you let it thaw a bit before serving.

 

That's always uneven, except for the first servings, before it freezes solid.

 

Swensen's is quite good, and may even be cheaper, with member card.  We hit it every other week for usually 2 scoops each, on Tuesday's 2 for 1 member discount.  Wife gave up 1 of hers yesterday ????

 

Actually healthier for me, as if have at the house, hard to pass by the frig without taking a scoop.  Fruits are hard to add, and seem to crystalize too much.  But add pie;  apple or pumpkin worked out really good.   Something Swensen's doesn't offer.   Do have Blueberry or Strawberry Cheesecake which is good, and occasionally get some pieced of pie crust.

 

I think I ate more when I made my own.

Edited September 27, 2023 by KhunLA

[xtrnuno41]

What ive red about sugar is, sugar is sugar. POINT

White because it is refined. Brown now as people think that one is more healthy.

Nope, just the same. Only price can differ due to "green, bio" status.

It should be cheaper as refine isnt there.

Brown it costs more? pass.

Same as eggs, brown white, it is an egg and no differences.

Color in washing powders, doesnt make sense, it has no part in washing.

Could be left out and saves a lot of color ingredients, which you only throw away.

Coffee filters are white, why? They are bleached, totally unnecessary.

Normally they would be brown. Have no problem with brown filter,used it for years.

However now my producer of filters has changed to white?!

Probably then to attract more customers who wants white, as they have been long time white.

I red about it and was fine with my brownies. However dont feel good now with whites, as I know they are bleached. 

 

 

 

 

[KannikaP]

On 9/26/2023 at 6:52 PM, bob smith said:

powdered brown sugar cane is natural, ie nothing added to it, it hasn't been concentrated and no extra chemicals added.

 

its not rocket science. 

So what is added to white sugar please?

[jacko45k]

On 9/27/2023 at 4:47 PM, save the frogs said:

if you have a weakness for ice cream, consider getting an ice cream machine and making your own from scratch. 

Heavens, a few weeks ago we had a long thread on making one's own yoghurt. My image of the Expats in Thailand is shifting fast! 

[save the frogs]

13 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Heavens, a few weeks ago we had a long thread on making one's own yoghurt. My image of the Expats in Thailand is shifting fast! 

what image did you have before and what's your image now? 

 

[jacko45k]

10 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

what image did you have before and what's your image now? 

 

Mongers in girly bars drinking beer and fraternizing with the girls.... now I see old men in the kitchen wearing aprons and faffing about with milk and sugar!

[Poilu]

I am diabetic but do not like to use artificial sweetener therefore I use low G I coconut blossom sugar (sap from the flower). The brand I buy is quite expensive compared to cane sugar but a 1kg tub lasts a very long time and has negligible coconut taste and is very good in coffee and to use in baking.