The Power of Palm Sugar

In the world of culinary there is a common recipe to make a meal tastier without having to sprinkle some chemical additive such as MSG (Monosodium Glutamate). Palm sugar is the powerful bit to complement the taste of a meal, to make a balance. As its name, the sugar comes from palm trees. It is known that palm sugar has unique taste and healthier than white sugar because the process involves less chemical or even no chemical at all. In particular, the unique taste of palm sugar roots in the type of palm trees.

Grown in Africa, Asia and New Guinea, Palmyra palm produces the sugar from sap from the flowers meanwhile Date palm produces palm sugar from the tree’s sap. Date palm was born in the Mediterranean and Middle East and some of them in Pakistan and India. To the coastlines and tropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, on the other hand, a watery mangrove biome is the mother of Nipa Palm where the palm sugar is made from the sugar-rich sap. In our country and mainly China, the palm tree we use for producing sugar is called Arenga pinnata. Not only from the type of tree, in the same region each country has different taste of palm sugar as well. Indonesia palm sugar, for example, is usually darker in color and smokier than Thai palm sugar.

In Bali, particularly, Tejakula in the northern part of the island stores a place where a palace of palm sugar tucks away. It is claimed to have lower glycemic index and proceeded with no chemical and industrial touch. The sap from the tree is heated to produce the moisture content until it becomes a condensed syrup. The sweet nectar later is reduced to crystals and left for sometimes a while. The form of palm sugar usually in the block, granular and liquid form depending on the demand. To enrich authentic Indonesian flavors, Blanco par Mandif sources this local palm sugar to spoil every palate sitting inside the aesthetic dining room. From appetizer to main course and dessert, palm sugar is possible not only for the substitution of white sugar or as a filling but for pairing up main course in meat menu to intensify the robust flavor of the meat.

The reason of using palm sugar to be included as an ingredient lies on the health benefits this substance offers. It is an unrefined sugar meaning to give the taste of sweet with no additional artificial enhancer. Furthermore, it is known to be rich in vitamins and minerals including potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, manganese and copper and antioxidants to protect people from free radicals (pollutions generally). Amino acids in every sprinkle enables protein to repair and grow one’s body cell and fantastically its low glycemic index allows food to slowly absorbed, calming the insulin level to rise up unreasonably. A dietary fiber, inulin, is another content in palm sugar: to maintain blood sugar levels and amount of fructose. And to create a healthier community, Blanco par Mandif believes in the advantages of palm sugar, exploring the use of this substance to deliver exceptional menu.