Palm Sugar, Cock, 1 lbs

This Palm Sugar (น้ําตาลปี๊บ, nam tan bpeep in Thai, made from the borassus flabellifera palm) is a type of  sugar with a distinct caramel flavor and is less cloyingly sweet then cane sugar. Use it in recipes calling for palm or coconut sugar. Its intense caramel-like flavor is an integral part of the Thai taste profile, certainly, worth the effort to find and buy it. The darker color and stickier sugars are preferred.

Palm sugar is made by making several slits into the stem of a palm tree, similar to rubber, and collecting the sap.  The juice from the sap is boiled in water until the water evaporates and the sugar crystallizes.

To make it easier to measure smash palm sugar with a heavy clever or small kitchen hammer to break into smaller portions for dissolving in hot liquids or grate with a cheese grater. Or try this simple way to soften palm sugar. Place the palm sugar disc in a small bowl with a teaspoon of water and microwave briefly, about 30 seconds depending on your oven. Smash with a spoon until uniform in consistency and then it's ready for adding to recipes. Another suggestion to soften hard palm sugar, is to place dampened paper towels over the sugar in a closed container for a few days - this adds some moisture to the sugar without microwaving, but takes more forethought.

Add to stir-fries, dipping sauces, and desserts. Also palm sugar can be added to herbal teas to treat sore throat, colds, and congestion.

Palm sugar will keep indefinitely in the cupboard. This palm sugar contains 8 pieces of sugar, with no additives (100% palm sugar). Caveat emptor when shopping for palm sugar, as some vendors online are offering inferior blends combined with other types of cheaper sugars.

See recipes using Palm Sugar: Lemongrass Chicken, Green Papaya Salad, Haw Mohk, Pad Thai, Red Curry, Green Curry, Seafood Salad and Sweet Pumpkin

Also see Coconut Palm Sugar from Vietnam.