Palm Sugar, decoded
When you’re looking to replace processed sugar in your recipes, there are so many options it’s hard to make sense of the market. Allow me to help with your sugar rush. When you browse through my recipes you’ll notice I generally call for palm sugar. Why?
Palm sugar is a traditional ingredient in South-East Asian cooking. The sugar is sweet, caramelly brown, and a bang-up alternative to processed sugar. It’s lower on the glycemic index, making it a great alternative sweetener for people looking to reduce their intake! Everything you want to know about the actual manufacturing and origin can be found here, courtesy of Wikipedia. (Is there anything Wikipedia doesn’t know?)
In addition to Wikipedia, Gluten Free Girl, the Grand Dame of gluten free, wrote a great article for SeriousEats.com, which can be found here. She details her first encounter with the magical ingredient, and I’ll vouch for her that the sugar is truly unique.
But let me add my own two cents:
Palm sugar comes in a variety of forms, all of which are delicious. I never mean to cause any confusion in my recipes, so I want to do a little rundown of the three basic types of palm sugar and how you can use each.
Granulated Palm Sugar
This is what I’ve been using in my recipes and, in my professional opinion, is the best alternative to processed granulated sugar. It’s generally sold in bags, it’s dry and easily measurable, and it stands up to your baking needs. This form of palm sugar is the dryest (which is to say, it has the least amount of residual liquid after boiling down the sap). You can use this anywhere you’d use plain, old white sugar and you’ll be happy with the choice. Granulated palm sugar adds caramel depth to your cookies and cakes. The biggest problem with the ingredient is finding it. But don’t worry, I’d never leave you hanging.
If you want to use something else in it’s place I suggest Granulated Maple Sugar, it is also low on the glycemic index. Raw Cane Sugar and Demerara Sugar are also great substitutes in my recipes.
Pro’s: Perfect swap out for processed white sugar, Adds flavor and sweetness
Con’s: Dark color comes through in baked goods
Where to Find It: Sweet Tree Online, Whole Foods (if your Whole Foods doesn’t have it yet, let them know you want it!)
Traditional Brick Palm Sugar
This is the stuff that comes in bricks and discs, most commonly sold in Asian markets. It is made by boiling down Palmyra Palm sap and then letting the reduced sap solidify into bricks and cakes. It smells like caramel even before you’ve started cooking but can be confusing to work with. Why? Because you have to grate it. Not a big deal, but still, not the most “recipe ready” ingredient.
At least, not for most baking. It dissolves beautifully in curries and sauces, can be grated over your creme brulee to make a beautiful crust, and bubbles into a spectacular caramel for your popcorn fantasies.
Pro’s: Inexpensive, Melts into sauces, Makes great caramel
Con’s: Doesn’t provide great structure to baked goods
Where to find it: Asian Markets, and Amazon.
Liquid Palm Sugar
This is relatively new to the American market and is not terribly easy to find. So, why am I even telling you about it? If you can find it, you’ll want to keep a jar on hand. Liquid palm sugar brings a nutty sweetness to your cooking, but this time you don’t have to grate it before use. This form of palm sugar is made by boiling down the sap from the Palmyra Palm but then it’s jarred before being allowed to solidify. What you’re left with is a dark syrup, perfect for stirring into puddings and other liquid desserts. Liquid palm sugar is a great substitute for Agave.
Pro’s: Liquid form easy to stir into puddings, Great drizzled over fresh fruit
Con’s: Difficult to find, Doesn’t provide great structure in baked goods
Where to Find It: Thai Taste, Online here
Alright kittens, I’m done with the background check on my favorite sweetener. Use it if you can find it, you won’t regret it. If you can’t find it online or in a store, I suggest using Granulated Maple Sugar, Raw Cane Sugar or Demerara Sugar in my recipes. They all have a similar caramel color and are significantly less processed than your average bag of white sugar.
I’m just looking out for you. I want to make sure you get the right sugar buzz, okay?
