Palm syrup (Spanish:Miel de palma,lit. 'palm honey') is an edible sweetsyrup produced from thesap of a number ofpalms. It is produced in theCanary Islands and coastal regions ofSouth America.
In the Canary Islands, palm syrup is produced from theCanary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis). InChile, palm syrup is produced from theendangeredChilean wine palm (Jubaea chilensis).[1]Other species used include the coconut palm, sugar palm, and palmyra palm.
Mostguarapo andmiel de palma production occurs in the municipality ofVallehermoso onLa Gomera.[2] The process of collecting sap from the palm and concentrating it into syrup is similar in many ways to the process used formaple syrup.
The sap, known asguarapo orgarapa, is collected from a bowl-shaped depression cut into thecrown of the tree. As guarapo spoils quickly insunlight, the harvesting is done overnight. Every evening during the harvesting season, theguarapero (farmer) prepares each tree. He climbs to the top of the tree, often using a ladder, uses a sharpknife orchisel to trim the bowl to remove surface crust and open the pores, and hoists a bucket into place beneath a pipe or channel leading from the bowl.[3] Early the next morning, he returns and collects the filled buckets, containing ten or more litres from each tree.
The harvestedguarapo is then brought to, or collected by, a local processing plant, or may be processed on site. Processing involves boiling the sap for several hours until it is reduced by about 90% to a dark brown syrup that is rich and sweet. It is then packaged, typically in glass jars.[2] Palm syrup tends to thicken and crystallize over time.
After about four to five months of being harvested every day, during the period January to June, a tree needs five years to recuperate before it is used again.[3]
Palm syrup is used to accompany many pastries and desserts, such aspancakes andice cream. The syrup is widely used in Southeast Asian cooking. InWest Bengal, where it is known asjhola gur, it is only obtainable in winter.
Its sweetness tempers the flavours of spicycurries, adding its rich,molasses-like flavour to the food. It is also widely used as an ingredient in desserts, or drizzled over prepared foods.
Palm sap is a refreshing drink, and fermented palm syrup is distilled to produce various alcohols such asarrack, a spirit similar torum. On La Gomera, the palm honey obtained from the sap is mixed withparra (similar tograppa) to produceGomerón.
Palm syrup is also traditionally used on La Gomera for general medicinal purposes.[3]