I love it when people get crazy, geeky and passionate about food. Thai food expert and author Naam Pruitt, recently emailed in response to a remark I made about Thai palm sugar in the Sriracha chile sauce recipe. She said that the Thai palm sugar imported into the United States was cheap and terrible and that she'd send me some artisanal palm sugar that she regularly brings back from Thailand. Naam was a Thai woman on fire -- stand back!
My mother didn't raise no fool and I immediately replied by providing my address. She was practically just as fast with sending the sugar as yesterday, I got a priority mail delivery that was unusually heavy. It was from Naam, who unbeknowst to me resides in Missouri (Asian people are everywhere!!!). Inside was a copy of her charming cookbook, Lemongrass and Limes, and a kilo (2.2 pounds) slab of sugar as soft as cookie dough. I could spoon it up, as you can see here:
I dug into the sugar and ate small chunk. The buterscotch and caramel flavor, along with the texture, reminded me of dulce de leche. Wow. It's a little strange to eat chunks of sugar but the Thai palm sugar that Naam sent was like candy. I ended up adding a bit to some fermented Sriracha that I was making and it was exactly what the sauce needed. I've not had a chance to cook from Naam's book but I surely have the right sugar!
Do any of you have experience or knowledge of it? I'd written in the past of palm sugar, including artisanal Malaysian and Indonesia gula Melaka and gula jawa that Robyn of EatingAsia sent. Folks, what about the Thai stuf?
Robyn says
From what I understand it's also made from the sap of cut flowers, coconut palms or palmyra (fan) palms. The method is essentially the same - collect the sap twice a day, boil down to make sugar. Sometimes after cooking the liquid sugar is whipped with big bamboo and wood whisks -- the Thai palm sugar that comes with the little Dairy Queen-style soft-serve curlicue on top is.
There's also Thai brown cane sugar, which is sometimes mistaken for palm sugar. It's dark like gula Melaka and is a more common ingredient in northern Thailand than palm sugar.
Naam Pruitt says
It's actuallly interesting why it's even called palm sugar,it's really made from coconut sap. I have seen it made locally in Thailand and it's definitely from a true coconut tree. You have to admit that it's hard to beat the creamy coconutty texture.
This makes an instant dessert combined with freshly grated young coconut(not the one you make coconut milk from, that is too tough). The mixture of this gloriously sweet melt in your mouth sugar with buttery coconut shredds are just enough to satisfy your sweet calling!
Carol Nguyen says
How did you get palm sugar that looks like that? My Asian grocer only sells the hard kind and I can't figure out how to use it. One time I tried to melt it in the microwave and it crystallized. Do you know how I can make the hard kind work?
Andrea Nguyen says
Robyn and Naam, thanks for the info.
Naam, my guess is that "palm sugar" is a generic moniker because the sugar comes from various kinds of palms, whether they're coconut or not. What is the name of the sugar that you sent in Thai? Love the idea for shredded young (green) coconut.
Carol, the sugar above is a rarity in the U.S. With the hard palm sugar, use a cleaver to chop it up into smaller pieces. You may have to shave it off if the sugar is in a big, hard block. Better yet, look for palm sugar packaged pieces that are small. I don't buy the large ones.
Sometimes I'll pound the chopped pieces with a mortar and pestle when I want a really fine texture. The dark palm sugar that Robyn talks about should be shaved. For nuoc mam, you can take a piece and melt it in water into a simple syrup before using.
dave says
I use the palm sugar that's in the jars. It's pretty firm and has an oily liquid that "seals" it. It's hard until you actually dip a spoon into it and then it gets softer. It gets really soft if you put it in your hand from the heat of your hand. Why would one do that? Well, if one uses it as a carrier for dry rub for pork shoulder to make Memphis-style pulled pork BBQ, one would use their hand to rub it on the meat. It's my little secret for doing smoked BBQ pork shoulder or Boston butt. Most people use honey or karo, molasses or even oil. I really like using the palm sugar. It melts into a creamy, opaque milky colored salve.
Here's the post on my blog about it:
http://teleburst.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/a-4th-of-july-gift-to-you-my-secret-dry-rub-recipe/
PS, I'll give up the secret spice of my rub to anyone who emails me at [email protected]. It seems almost obvious, but I've never seen it listed in anyone's rub and I think it makes a lot of difference. If I give it to you, you have to promise to keep it a secret.
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Lee Fielder says
When my palm sugar gets too hard to cut with a cleaver, I put several pieces in a jar and put a paper towel folded into several thicknesses, moistened, across the top and close the lid. Over 2-4 days the sugar will soften, but keep remoistening the paper towel until the sugar is soft enough. This also works with brown (cane) sugar which has hardened.
paige says
I have used "coconut sugar" in a tin can. It is very soft and spoonable like in your picture. I don't recall the brand name, I have only seen it in our local Korean store.
Diane says
I brought some of that back from Thailand this year (from a small home-type production facility) - and it is yummy. Funny thing though - when I placed it in my bag it was in small, sweet little discs, and when I pulled it out of the luggage 24 hours later after a thorough pummeling by the baggage handlers, it looked just like that - one big mass! But still tastes very good.
The palm sugar that I usually buy here is not rock hard at all. It comes in a 32 oz soft plastic jar with a yellow and red label that says, "Palm Sugar, Doung Thot Not, and some other wording." I get it in Thai/Lao groceries. It's quite good actually, but not as good as my special stash from Thailand.
Diane says
PS - I forgot to clarify that the stuff I usually buy in jars is a Thai product. I'll take a picture and send it to you so you can see what it looks like.
Andrea Nguyen says
Everyone,
GREAT tips on getting hard palm sugar to soften. You're basically taking it back to its humid Southeast Asian clime. That is so darn clever, actually ingenious!
Diane, I'd love the photo and will add it to this post!
Gregg says
Here's a simple way to soften palm sugar discs which works very well: Place the disc in a small bowl with 1 tsp. water. Put the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds. Mash it with a spoon until the consistency is uniform throughout the mass of palm sugar, and it's ready to use.
I can't take credit for this method, just passing it along. And it works well every time!
chris says
My local Thai supermarket sells pasteurised unfermented palm sap in bottles, the same sap that is boiled down to make the palm sugar - it has a wonderful flavour that combines the taste of young coconut meat with, remarkably, definite hints of sweetcorn. Some of this aroma is retained by the sugar, but the sugar's intense sweetness masks it somewhat.
Andrea Nguyen says
Greg -- I love the nuker trick you've contributed -- whether it's yours or not. Thanks for the generous sharing.
Chris -- I've wondered what the palm stuff was in the bottles, which resemble beer bottles. What do you use the palm sap for?
Karla says
Hi Andrea, I would like to let you know that have a new type of palm sugar that is already pulverized, from Vietnam, thot not sugar:
http://www.templeofthai.com/food/flour_sugar/coconut-palm-sugar-3610000478.php
Thanks to all those who left tips on how to deal with hard palm sugar also - tropic dwellers don't have this problem as the humidity and heat keeps the palm sugar soft at all times (similar to beloved Palm Oil!).
Karla says
I wonder if adding a fresh apple slice to the container would also work (as per Lee's message above), as this is what I use to do for brown sugar when I lived in the USA?
Afeidt says
A slice of bread works very good for softening up brown sugar. I would think it would be the same for palm sugar.
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