Palm sugar production
| Palm sugar production | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Skor Thnot; Kampong Speu palm sugar; skor phen |
| Practice type | Foodway |
| Usual occasion | Dry season |
| Subjects | Food & Foodways |
Palm sugar production is a food tradition practised in Cambodia and Khmer communities. (The Phnom Penh Post)
Practice
Producers climb Palmyra palms to collect flower sap in traditional bamboo containers, placing a small piece of Popel or Koki wood in each container to slow fermentation. The sap is filtered and boiled in large pans over fire or low heat, then stirred until it becomes syrup, paste, granules, or solid blocks. Solid sugar may be poured into small palm-leaf moulds and packaged in palm leaves. The sugar is made without chemical additives and is used in soups, sauces, curries, desserts, drinks, and offerings. (The Phnom Penh Post; The Phnom Penh Post)
History
Palm sugar has been embedded in Cambodian rural life for centuries. The supplied text says a 1901 royal decree encouraged farmers to plant Palmyra palms in rice-growing areas, and that the palm was declared a national emblem of Cambodia in 2005. Kampong Speu Palm Sugar received Cambodian geographical-indication status in 2010 and European Protected Geographical Indication status in 2019. (The Phnom Penh Post; The Phnom Penh Post)
Variations
The product is made as granulated, paste, block, and syrup sugar, with differences in texture, color, aroma, acidity, and sweetness. Kampong Speu production is associated with Oudong, Samaki Monichey, and Samrong Torng districts in Kampong Speu Province, and Ang Snuol District in Kandal Province; another supplied account identifies Oudong, Samrong Tong, and Ang Snuol as the GI production area. (The Phnom Penh Post; The Phnom Penh Post)
Communities and practitioners
The practice is community-based and intergenerational. Traditionally, men climb the palms and collect sap, while women cook, crystallize, and package the sugar; families in places such as Preah Dak continue the work and demonstrate it to visitors. (The Phnom Penh Post; The Phnom Penh Post)