Coconut palm sugar, more commonly known as Gula Melaka in Malaysia, is a staple ingredient in Asian cuisine. While terms like “palm sugar” and “coconut palm sugar” are often used interchangeably, they each refer to specific types of sugar derived from different palm trees and regions.
In Southeast Asia, popular varieties include Gula Melaka from Malaysia, primarily made from the sap of coconut palms, and Gula Jawa (from coconut palms) or Gula Aren (from aren palms) in Indonesia.
How is it made?
This natural unrefined sugar is produced from nira palm nectar which is the sap collected from the flower buds of coconut palm trees. The palm tree tappers collect the sap by cutting the flower bud and extracting the nira sap.
The sap is then caramelized by slowly boiling it over low heat for lengthy hours, producing a thick liquid palm syrup which is then poured into moulds, traditionally bamboo moulds are used. The syrup then solidifies, resulting in a solid form of coconut palm sugar blocks, known as the gula melaka.
How does it taste?
The traditional unrefined sugar has a distinct rich flavour, boasting complex taste profiles with hints of caramel, bitter chocolate and toffee-like with a tinge of smoky aroma, reminiscent of honey but without the overwhelming sweetness of refined sugar. This versatile sweetener is widely used in desserts like sago, chendol, drinks, sauces, or as a sugar substitute.
Personally, I incorporate coconut palm sugar extensively in my cooking, especially for traditional desserts like ondeh-ondeh, pulut inti, and chendol, as well as in any recipe that calls for sugar.