2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Palm sugar is a natural sweetener that is extracted from the flowers of the sugar palm. This product is well known to the people of Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Vietnam, but it has been present on the Bulgarian market for a relatively short time.
However, before we get acquainted in detail with it, let's understand something about the tree, thanks to which today we get an interesting sugar substitute. The sugar palm is a genus of palm trees typical of Africa, Asia and New Guinea. They grow in Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, China and other countries with similar climatic conditions.
Sugar palms can reach 25-30 meters in height and live a century. The stem of the tree is strong at the base, slightly tapering upwards, brownish to gray. The leaves are colored green (over time and brown), feathery, radially outward. In the first years, the young trees do not grow very fast, but then they manage to catch up. They bloom with small flowers, which then serve to make palm sugar.
Palm sugar itself is an extremely valuable sweetener with a crystalline or granular structure. It is colored in caramel to brown color. It has a sweet taste that can be compared to that of ordinary sugar. Palm sugar dissolves well in beverages and melts well when heated. This makes it a great and complete substitute for all other sweeteners.
Composition of palm sugar
Palm sugar it is often confused with coconut sugar, as the two products are made in a similar way. The fact is, however, that the colors of two different plants are used to make the two sweeteners. This, in turn, is the reason why there is some difference in the composition of the two types of sugar.
Studies show that the content of palm sugar includes carbohydrates, iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, zinc. Palm sugar is also a source of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3 and vitamin B6.
Production of palm sugar
As mentioned earlier palm sugar is obtained from the flowers of the sugar palm and more precisely from their nectar. For this purpose, they are carefully processed and the separated liquid is collected in special containers.
It is heated and boiled until it thickens and acquires the appearance of a syrup. It is then left for some time until it crystallizes in different sizes. The crystals thus obtained can be of different shapes and usually have a golden to slightly brownish color.
It is also possible to dry the juice from the flowers of the sugar palm in the sun. This option is even better, as it retains more of all the vitamins and minerals contained in the palm raw material.
And although the extraction of palm sugar does not seem particularly difficult at first glance, the truth is that this process requires the necessary attention, physical effort, time and patience. In itself, this affects the price of the product and it is relatively more expensive than regular white sugar.
On the other hand, however, the production technology of palm sugar does not include refining and bleaching and this is the reason why it is superior to most other sweeteners, including stevia, when available in powder form.
Benefits of palm sugar
The benefits of palm sugar are really not one or two. One of its biggest advantages is that it has a low glycemic index. This means that it is absorbed more slowly by the body and thus the blood glucose level rises gradually, not sharply.
Its glycemic index is only 35, unlike honey, where the same index is almost 60, and white sugar is even 105. This quality of the product is extremely important for people suffering from diabetes, as well as those who are struggling with obesity, because in these people it is very important not to allow a sharp rise in blood sugar after a meal.
Because this product is unrefined, it manages to retain many vitamins and minerals. All of them are of great importance for the successful development of our body and for maintaining a strong immune system. These substances have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, heart, bones, teeth, muscles. In addition to improving the condition of the hair and skin, they also take care of the condition of the musculoskeletal system.
It is not known at this time that palm sugar has side effects, such as artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, acesulfame K, cyclamate, aspartame and others. We remind you that scientists associate the intake of these substances with complaints such as headache, apathy, nervous disorder, loss of appetite, nausea. There have also been claims that regular use of these sugar substitutes leads to a change in taste sensations, as well as to the accumulation of extra pounds.
Of course, natural sweeteners such as stevia and agave juice are already on the market. However, stevia is associated with a specific aftertaste that does not appeal to every consumer, and also does not melt and is more difficult to apply in cooking.
Agave juice has become known as a sweetener also because of its low glycemic index. However, it is currently being treated with distrust after it was found that some suppliers were replacing it with corn syrup, which is high in fructose.
Cooking with palm sugar
Palm sugar it is definitely an excellent substitute for sugar and is not inferior to it. Its ability to melt easily, as well as its pleasant sweet taste, make it the ideal ingredient for various biscuits, muffins, cakes, waffles, creams, fruit milks and all other desserts.
It can be used with the same success to sweeten hot drinks such as tea and coffee, various fruit juices, shakes, smoothies and more.
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