I like sugar in my coffee. I can’t bear the thought of drinking the brew unsweetened. Hence, I am always on the lookout for natural sugars to use in place of the refined ones. I usually use jaggery in my coffee. But recently, my mother came across an interesting product, and promptly had one packet delivered to my home. It was a neat pouch, made of rough brown paper, that appealed to my sense of eco-awareness.
It had the words ‘Coconut Blossom Sugar’ printed on it. I had heard of this, but was under the impression that it was a sweetener and not a natural sugar. The suggestions for use on the package were interesting and so, I decided to try it out.
It resembles the demerara sugar very closely in colour and coarseness. The taste is clean and fresh, with the unmistakable sweetness of elaneer. It is not overpowering either, and when I added it to cold coffee, tasted good and did not clump.
The coconut blossom sugar is obtained from the sap of the coconut flower. A cut is made at the base of the flower, and the sap that oozes out is collected and allowed to evaporate, with the residue forming the natural sugar. This is the technique followed in many parts of the world.
However, at Farm Made, in Palladam, they do it differently. Mr. Ram Mohan and his family have been in the business of coconut breeding and due to their association with agricultural scientists, came across a method for extracting coconut sugar, patented by Dr.Hebber in Kerala. This resulted in a far purer extraction of the produce.
After many trials, Ram Mohan and his team have refined the method to obtain the sap in a clean and fresh manner, that brings down the risk of pollution. Ram Mohan also considers this a nutritious offering for a society that wants to embrace healthier food options.
This sap or nectar is in high demand in the neighbouring state in liquid form and is referred to as Neerah. It then undergoes a highly precise heating process before being dehydrated.
The farm is proud of their product as there is no compromise in quality standards during the production process. This vegan sugar is free of preservatives and is completely organic, with the vermicompost for the coconut trees being made in-house. Therefore, the land is enriched, making this a sustainable harvest.
Studies in the Phillipines have proved that coconut blossom sugar rates only 34 on the glycemic index (GI), making it a healthier sugar alternative. A low GI means that there is a slow release of sugar into the blood and does not lead to spikes in the blood sugar, if taken in reasonable quantities. The calorific count, however, is the same as refined sugar.
I learnt that the sugar was also great for baking. I was initially sceptical as I thought the flavours were too light, but decided to try it out nevertheless and added it to my dark chocolate cake batter. I am happy to say that my apprehensions were misplaced. The dark chocolate cupcakes tasted every bit as delicious, and my family was none the wiser. The taste is clean and fresh, with the unmistakable sweetness of elaneer