Coconut is known to have many advantages. Coconut water is the main component for the production of coconut sugar. The coconut water is clear and translucent but after a few hours of boiling, it will become dark brown and thick which will then be poured into the bamboo mold to be solidified into "sugar column". This is the coconut sugar which are known as "Gula Melaka". Palm sugar is used throughout South East Asia and the Subcontinent in both sweet and savory dishes and it must be shaved or chopped before being added as an ingredient.
Gula Melaka is considered to be a particularly wholesome sugar, retaining more mineral salts than refined sugar due to the absence of bleaching.
This gula melaka syrup can be used as topping or sweetener for dessert such as Chendol, sago gula melaka, etc. Coconut sugar has a darker almost earthy flavor, it’s wonderful in baking recipes using chocolate or warm spices. It’s also brilliant stirred into coffee or tea, sprinkled on top of pancakes or waffles, or used to brighten up savory recipes like curries, chicken or fish.
