Coconut sugar is a sugar produced from the sap of cut flower buds of coconuts. Coconut sugar has been used as a traditional sweetener for thousands of years in the South and SouthEast Asian regions where the coconut tree is in abundant supply. The world's largest producer of coconut is the Philippines.[1] It is also called Palm sugar, coco sugar, coconut palm sugar or coco sap sugar. The terms coconut sugar and palm sugar are even used interchangeably in some areas but coconut sugar is different from palm sugar. Palm sugar comes from the Palmyra tree and coconut sugar comes from coconut palm.
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Coconut sugar comes in crystal or granule form, block or liquid. It is essentially a two-step process. It starts with harvesting or "tapping" the blossoms of a coconut tree. Farmers make a cut on the spadix and the sap starts to flow from the cut. The sap is then collected in bamboo containers. The sap collected is then transferred into giant woks and placed over moderate heat to evaporate the moisture content of the sap. The sap is translucent and is about 80% water. As the water evaporates, it starts to transform into a thick syrup-like substance known as a "toddy". From this form, it is further reduced to crystal, block or soft paste form, or it remains in this form. Essentially, coconut sugar's form depends on the moisture content of the toddy.[2]
Coconut sugar is subtly sweet almost like brown sugar but with a slight hint of caramel. However, since organic coconut sugar is not highly processed the color, sweetness and flavor can vary depending on different factors. Coconut sugar's color, sweetness and flavor can vary slightly from packaging to packaging depending on the coconut species used, season when it was harvested, where it was harvested and even the way the "sap" or "toddy" was reduced.[3]
The Glycemic Index of coconut sugar is 35 and is classified as a low glycemic index food.[4] It is considered to be a healthier than traditional white sugar and brown sugar. It can be used as a 1:1 sugar substitute for coffee, tea, baking and cooking.
Coconut sugar has high mineral content, a rich source of potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. In addition to this it contains Vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6. When compared to brown sugar, Coconut Sugar has twice the iron, four times the magnesium and over 10 times the amount of zinc.[5]
The coconut sap which coconut sugar is derived from contains 16 amino acids. The amino acid which has the highest content in coconut sap is Glutamine. Glutamine lutamine has been studied extensively over the past 10–15 years and has been shown to be useful in the treatment of serious illnesses, injury, trauma, burns, and treatment-related-side-effects of cancer as well as in wound healing for post-operative patients. It is known to reduce healing time after operations. It is essential in states of illness or injury even requiring intake[6]
Coconut Sugar is also rich in Vitamins. Inositol has the highest amount of all the vitamins found in the coconut sap. Among the reported benefits of inositol in clinical settings are a reduction in the need for pain medication when patients are given inositol, a reduction of edema in treatment of scald burns, and in relieving the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Because of its beneficial effects on the central nervous system and its role in the development of healthy cells, Inositol is recommended as a treatment for anxiety, depression, bipolar mood disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorders. In addition, there is evidence to suggest that inositol may be useful in treating other mood disorders and neuro-psychological disorders.[7]
The Philippine Food and Nutrition Research Institute released the following information about their analysis of nutritive values found in coconut sugar:
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