Sugar Palm

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

The sugar palm / Borassus flabellifer / is a species of palm tree typical of Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, China and other countries with similar climates. The plant is also known by the names palm or lontar palm. It is also known as Asian palmyra palm and toddy palm.

The sugar palm is a healthy tree that can live more than 100 years, during which time it can reach a height of 25 to 30 meters. The leaves of the palm are greenish, sharp, radially directed outwards. Due to their location, the leaf tuft is almost round in shape. The leaf stalks are serrated. Young plants initially develop relatively slowly, but then grow rapidly.

The sugar palm is widely valued in India because of the juice that is extracted from it. It is said that it is so tasty, fragrant and seductive that there is no other drink in the whole country to compete with it. According to locals, the liquid is highly intoxicating and seems to enchant the drinker.

The fruits of the sugar palm are round, reaching a diameter of 20 centimeters. When ripe, they acquire an eggplant color, but in places remain yellowish. To be consumed, the fruit must be cut at the top, then the surface layer must be removed with a knife. Sometimes this turns out to be a difficult task, but the locals are used to doing it and they manage quickly.

After cleaning the top layer, whitish seeds are found on the inside, which have a jelly-like structure, and the aroma carried by them is associated with the smell of fruits such as melon, pineapple and quince. If the fruit is well ripened, its outer layer can be consumed. The people of Bengal widely use these fruits in cooking, putting them in various pastries.

Composition of sugar palm

The fruits of the sugar palm have a rich nutritional composition. They are a source of minerals. They contain potassium, iron, zinc, calcium and phosphorus. They also contain important vitamins. The delicious fruits contain vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C and more.

Cooking for sugar benefit

Fresh seeds of the sugar palm also used for food purposes. They have a structure reminiscent of jelly and are very pleasant to the taste. They can be eaten raw or roasted or boiled. Eating a puree of them during the hot months has a cooling and energizing effect.

The seeds of the tree are considered a delicacy in India and other Asian countries. In summer they are available on the local market, but only for a short time. They are used to make juices, nectars, shakes and other drinks. They are also used to make nutritious porridges, jellies, jam. Used in fruit salads, creams and ice creams, mixed with other exotic fruits such as papaya, mango and pineapple. The outer layer of the fruit, which is generally peeled, can also be consumed when well ripened. It is also subject to baking and cooking.

Palm shoots are used to extract juice. They are cut and the liquid flowing from them is collected with the help of special hanging pots. The juice collected in the early hours of the day is refreshing, sweet and light. His name is Thaati Kallu. If he gathers in the evening, he is called Tadi. This liquid is relatively more acidic than Thaati Kallu. Fermented Tadi juice is consumed by some residents of Maharashta as an alcoholic beverage.

From the young inflorescences of the tree can be obtained a liquid called Toddy. Toddy is fermented to make a drink called Arak. The liquid can also be used to make raw sugar, called jaggery or Taal Patali, among the Bengalis. In Indonesia it is called Javanese sugar. This sugar is widely used in cooking on the island of Java.

Benefits of the sugar palm

The different parts of the sugar palm are used for a variety of purposes. For example, baskets, mats and other bedding can be woven from the leaves of the plant. They are used to make roofs and umbrellas, as well as hats and writing materials. In Indonesia, palm leaves have been used as paper by ancient cultures. They called this kind of paper lontar.

Fences were made from the parts of the wood, and fibers used for cords and brushes were also produced. Robust and reliable wood is highly valued in construction. In some places it is also used to make vessels.

As the fruits of the sugar palm are very nutritious, if these plants start to be grown on farms, it could help solve the global problem of malnutrition. Therefore, the importance of Borassus flabellifer plant should not be underestimated at all.

The health benefits of this plant have not been well studied yet. So far it is known that due to its rich composition the consumption of fruits of the sugar palm strengthens immunity. They are recommended for people who get tired quickly and have a bad tone. It has also been proven that fruit puree is used to treat dermatitis and other skin problems.