Many Indonesians refer to coconut sugar as brown sugar or Javanese sugar. However, some Malay people call coconut sugar as Melaka Sugar. Traditionally, Melaka sugar is made from high-quality pure coconut sap. In general, traditional coconut sugar is printed on coconut shell bowls. It is perfectly semicircular in shape and has a smooth texture. The sweet taste of traditional coconut sugar is different from the coconut sugar that is currently circulating in the market. Sometimes, currently sold coconut sugar is different in quality from traditional coconut sugar. Because some of the naughty melaka sugar producers add other, less natural sweeteners to coconut sugar. Traditional coconut sugar craftsmen really understand the quality of taste, aroma, and density of coconut sugar.
As time progressed, melaka sugar producers made various forms of sugar, such as granulated melaka sugar and liquid melaka sugar. All forms of melaka sugar still have a function as a natural sweetener for various types of food and drinks. Currently, the popularity of melaka sugar has increased sharply, as many foods with a low glycemic index are added. Sweeteners with a low glycemic index are sweeteners that can release glucose gradually. So that the body can absorb glucose slowly and not burden the function of the pancreas.
The benefits of Melaka sugar go hand in hand with its sweet and delicious taste. Many Malay people use this sugar as a sweetener in traditional foods and drinks. Malay foods such as Bingke, Uwok-uwok, Kepurun Sago, and Gegetas Cakes are foods made with Melaka sugar. For drinks, Es Laksamana Mengamuk, Hawaiian Coffee, and Tamatu Setup are delicious drinks with Melaka sugar All dishes that use Melaka sugar will indeed have the right sweet taste and also a distinctive aroma. This makes all age groups like it without exception.
Melaka sugar may be one of the ancestral heritages that have beneficial values that need to be preserved. So that its existence will not be displaced by modern sweeteners, which have more and more variations in taste.