Pure palm sugar is a sweetener made from pure palm sap which has a distinctive aroma and taste. The character of its naturally sweet and legit taste makes the price of palm sugar more expensive than palm sugar. Moreover, many believe that palm sugar has a positive effect when consumed in the long term. The trend of using palm sugar as a sweetener is increasing, along with its use for various contemporary drinks.
Currently, there are many types of palm sugar on the market. However, we should be more careful in choosing pure palm sugar to use and avoid mixed palm sugar. This is because mixed palm sugar has additional ingredients such as sweeteners, colorings, and artificial preservatives. Here’s how to distinguish genuine and fake palm sugar:
Real and Fake Aren Taste
Both real and fake palm sugar has an almost identical sweet taste. However, real palm sugar has a sweet, legit taste and does not leave a sour taste in the throat. Meanwhile, sweetened palm sugar will have a very sweet taste and leave a sour taste in the mouth. In addition, the sweet taste of fake palm sugar tends to last a long time in the throat. Some mixed palm sugar is deliberately mixed with coconut sugar. Even though it is natural, palm sugar mixed with coconut sugar will reduce the legit sweetness of pure palm sugar.
The aroma of Palm Sugar
Each type of sugar will have a distinctive aroma according to the raw material for making sugar. The aroma of palm sugar itself tends to be sweeter like caramel. But you need to be careful, palm sugar with a mixture of palm sugar almost has the same aroma as pure palm sugar. The difference is, pure palm sugar has a natural caramel aroma compared to mixed palm sugar which is more sour or rancid. Another indicator, palm sugar does not have a coconut scent. If you encounter the aroma of palm sugar that is similar to coconut sugar, then you can be sure that the sugar is not pure palm sugar. It could be that what you bought wasn’t palm sugar but instead coconut sugar or coconut sugar mixed with coconut sugar.
Palm Sugar Color
The color of pure palm sugar has good color saturation, which is reddish brown to dark brown. From this color, origin of palm sugar is referred to as brown sugar. Palm sugar mixed with coconut sap will have a slightly yellow color. This is because coconut sap is clearer than palm sugar, so coconut sugar is brighter in color.
Palm Sugar Texture
Checking pure palm sugar through the texture of printed palm sugar will be easier. Because real palm sugar will have a solid texture but is a little soft. In contrast to mixed palm sugar, when it is cut it will be a little hard and become flaky. In addition, palm sugar mixed with refined sugar will be hard and difficult to scrape. Pure palm sugar in the form of powder, can be known when touched. Pure palm sugar will have a good level of hardness, but will not crystallize. Another indicator, pure palm sugar will dissolve easily in water, while mixed palm sugar does not dissolve easily.
This is the difference between pure palm sugar and mixed palm sugar. Make sure to always buy palm sugar from a trusted palm sugar supplier. Of course, it will make shopping for palm sugar a little more comfortable because it is guaranteed to be pure.
