What is Coconut Sugar?

What is Coconut Sugar? ::  the answer is definitely, sugar that made from coconut plant. Then the next question may arise, which part of coconut plant that can be converted into sugar? To find the answer, I suggest you to keep reading, this article will answer every important question about coconut sugar.

Which part of coconut plant that can be converted into sugar?

The answer is coconut sap. Other people may also call it coconut nectar. It's the sweet substance that comes out from coconut flower blossoms. This nectar is taped traditionally by making wound in certain part of coconut flower. The sap will then flowed through this wound and the farmer will gather this sweet liquid with a bamboo containers.

How to Make Coconut Sugar?

Once the coconut sap or coconut nectar is taped, they have to be handled immediately to prevent natural fermentation. There's only one main process to produce coconut sugar; evaporation. The aim of this process is to remove the water content. Traditional coconut producers use a giant open pan to evaporate the coconut sap into a very thick dark brown liquid. This liquid is then molded using coconut shell to form blocked coconut sugar. Or, this liquid can also be crystallized to make ant sugar. Or, this liquid can also be packaged in glass/plastic bottles as liquid coconut sugar.

The last one may not be very popular yet, including in Indonesia, the heaven land of coconut plant.

In a more modern way, coconut sugar was produced in a mini sugar factory using a double effect vacuum evaporator. In this way, evaporating temperature was maintained to control the formation of caramel. Light color liquid coconut syrup is possibly resulted, in which the traditional way may not.

How about the Halal Issue if there’s possibility of a fermentation that may be occurred?

According to the Indonesian Council of Ulama, the time limit for fresh coconut sap to be further processed into coconut sugar is 3 days. More than 3 days, the sap has been classified as khamr (alcoholic beverage).

Usually, the farmers will climb the coconut trees twice a day. First is in the morning to place the empty bamboo container and make wounds. Second is in the afternoon to collect the bamboo containers which have been filled with coconut sap.

The location of coconut sugar processing is usually built not far from coconut plantation in order to avoid the natural fermentation. So the fresh coconut sap can be directly processed in less than 24 hours after the harvesting.

What is the benefit of coconut sugar?

Coconut sugar is unrefined. During its producing process, no chemicals or artificial additives was involved. That’s why coconut sugar becomes one of a healthy choice of common sugar substitutes.

Other health benefits of coconut sugar are;

-          It has a low glycemic index, so it won’t cause any significant rise of blood sugar.

-          It contains 17 amino acids naturally which are known as the building blocks of protein.

-          It contains vitamin B complex and vitamin C.

-          It also contains minerals that are essential for our body.

Among many choices of sweetener substitutes, coconut sugar is a good choice for those who have diabetes and obesity.

How to use coconut sugar?

You can use coconut sugar as 1:1 replacement for common table sugar.

In Indonesia, this sugar has been used for centuries to make many traditional food and snack.

Coconut sugar can be used to sweeten our daily drink, like tea, coffee or milk shake.

Coconut sugar can also be used as sugar substitutes for bakery products, like muffin, doughnut, cake or biscuits.

It can also be added to certain dishes, like chicken or fish soup.

While liquid coconut sugar can be directly used as topping for pancake, ice cream, bread, waffles or French toast.

You can mix liquid coconut sugar with cinnamon powder and spread it on breads to replace jam or jelly.

How to find Coconut Sugar?

If you live in Indonesia or Philippines, you can find coconut sugar everywhere, especially in Java Island where there are abundant numbers of coconut trees as well as coconut sugar producers.

You can try to search this product in local Asian grocery. If not, the easiest  way is buying online.

Is Coconut Sugar the same as Palm Sugar?

Maybe yes, maybe no. Coconut sugar is one of palm sugar, while not all palm sugar is coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is made from nectar of coconut trees (Cocos nucifera), which is the member of palmae family. While palm sugar can be made from nectar of otherpalmae plant, like Arenga pinnata, Borassus flabellifer or Nypa fructians. The sap of these palmae will have different health benefits with the sap coconut flower.

Enjoy coconut sugar, the healthier alternative to most sugar in the market ^-^