Palmae Family, the Nectar Sweetener Producer

Agave nectar has been popular as sugar substitutes nowadays, but there is also other nectar sweetener from other plants which can also be used as sweetener. This nectar comes from palm family which abundantly grows in Indonesia. Here are some of them;

1. Cocos nucifera

Cocos nucifera (also known as coconut) trees have a smooth, columnar, light grey to brown trunk. The diameter of the trunk is around 30-40 cm. The height of this plant may attain 24-30 m.

It needs a hot, moist climate and deep alluvial or loamy soil to grow. Coconut palm is essentially a crop of humid tropics. It's fairly adaptable with regard to temperature and water supply.

Coconut Sap Taper

Dried coconut endosperm (or also known as copra) contains edible cooking oil (coconut oil). Other food derivatives of coconut include coconut flour and coconut milk.

Coconut sap that is tapped from coconut flower has been used as nectar sweeteners since years ago by Indonesia people. A coconut tapers usually climb 40 trees in the morning and 40 trees in the evening.

2. Arenga pinnata

Arenga pinnata is unbranched and usually reaches a height of 15-20 m, with diameter of about 30-40 cm.

This plant is native to Southeast Asia, especially in tropical rainforest and dry forest. It's not so certain where the origin of Arenga pinnata is. It may comes from Minnahasa in North Sulawesi (Indonesia), where there are great abundance of this palm at all sites.

Arenga pinnata is a popular plant because of its year-round food productions, especially in dry season when other food's source is scarce.

Its sap is also an important product which used as a drink or as a raw material for nectar sweetener (palm sugar).

Arenga pinnata is rarely attacked by pests or diseases.

3. Borassus flabellifer

Borassus flabellifer (or also known as toddy palm) is a robust, 25-40 m tall and solitary plant. Its stem is massive, straight, up to 1 m in diameter at base and conical up to 4 m high. The average diameter is 40-50 cm. The stem is also occasionally branched and covered by leaf bases when young.

Borassus flabellifer is cultivated in the drier parts of its geographical range, where Arenga pinnata or Cocos nucifera can not compete. They are usually planted in groups, in order to facilitate tapping.

All parts of this plant are used. In India it's called the tree with 800 uses. The main product is sap, obtained by tapping the inflorescences which can be drunk immediately or can also be processed into nectar sweetener.

Toddy palm is hardly suffered from diseases and pests.

4. Nypa fructians

Nypa fructians (nipa palm) is a large plant which may have up to 45 cm in diameter stem. The stem is branching at regular intervals, with curved leaf scars above and roots along the underside.

Nipa palm is a tropical plant. Its optimum climate is sub humid to humid. Nipa palm thrives only in a brackish water environment. It's rarely seen directly on the seashore.

Nipa palm is one of the oldest angiosperm plants and maybe the oldest palm species.

In South East Asia, there is a long tradition since hundreds years ago to use nipa palm sap obtained by tapping the inflorescence stalk. This sap is then used as a source of molasses, nectar sweetener (sugar), alcohol or vinegar.

Nipa palm may suffer from few pests like rats in Papua New Guinea, weevils in Malaysia, pigs and monkey in northern Borneo.

Below is the general comparison of sap between Cocos nucifera (CN), Arenga pinnata (AP) and Borassus flabellifer (BF).

1. Sap Production

CN : 0.6-1.2 liter/tree/day or 2-3.5 liter/tree/day (for hybride tree)

AP : 8-30 liter/tree/day

BF : 1.95-4.54 liter/tree/day

2. Sucrose

CN : 12/03-14.85 %

AP : 13.9-14.9 %

BF : NA

3. Carbohydrate

CN : 14.35 %

AP : 11.28 %

BF : 13.20 %

4. Protein

CN : 0.17 %

AP : 0.02 %

BF : 0.04 %

5. Ash

CN : 0.66 %

AP : 0.04 %

BF : 0.24 %

6. Ascorbic Acid

CN : 16.0-30 g/100 ml

AP : NA

BF : NA

As a nectar sweetener, sap of Cocos nucifera and Arenga pinnata are mainly processed traditionally. In Indonesia, the area of palm sugar producer can be found in Banyuwangi, Lumajang, Blitar, Tulungagung, pacitan, Banyumas (Java Island). Palm sugar is absorbed mainly by household and soy sauce industry.