Jl. Johanis Fanggi Bimopu, Lasiana, Kelapa Lima, Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara
Palm sugar is an unrefined natural sweetener made by reducing the sap or nectar of palm trees. The major types of palm trees used are the Lontar (Borassus flabellifer), Arenga (Arenga pinnata), and Coconut tree (Cocos nucifera), and the sugar produced is named accordingly: Lontar Sugar, Arenga (or Aren) Sugar, and Coconut Sugar. Palm sugar is available in various forms, including granules, solid pieces or chunks, and thick syrup. Now let’s closer with Lontar sugar from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province.
This exotic tree is native to the dry landscapes of East Nusa Tenggara , where it grows abundantly and wild, particularly along coastal and savannah areas. More than just a plant, the Lontar tree is considered a life-sustaining gift of nature, especially among the Rotenese and Sabunese communities, where it plays a vital role in both daily living and cultural heritage.
Every part counts, this what makes lontar tree one of the most versatile trees for the locals, as an important food source for both human & domestic cattle (the fruit & the sap), the trunk for building material, and the leaves for handicraft, rooftop, & music instrument; Sasando, the famous traditional stringed music instrument made of lontar leaves. Supposedly, Nusa Lontar (the island of Lontar), an alias for Rote Island was given due to the dense population of the tree & how so deeply connected the Lontar has been with the livelihood of the locals in this southernmost island of Indonesia.
What makes lontar sugar special is the manual, community-based process of its production. The sugar-making season begins during the dry months (April – November), when the sap yield of the lontar trees reaches its peak. This is when you’ll see men skillfully climbing the tall trunks at dawn and dusk to tap the sap, collecting it drop by drop in rounded shape containers made of the leaves of the lontar tree (the Rotenese calls it haik’). The freshly harvested sap is then passed on to the women, who manage the slow & careful cooking process. Using wood-fired stoves and iron pans, they boil the sap for several hours with gentle stirring until it reduced to the right consistency of sugar syrup, or just right for the solid sugar mold, or carried though further cooking until they hit they solidify and broken into powdery granules with continuous rapid stirring & spatula grinding. The resulting Lontar sugar is bright to medium brown in color with earthy caramel-toffee flavor.
Just as any other palm sugar, you can find Lontar Palm sugar in 3 forms:
- Solid blocks, called Gula Lempeng (flat, round shaped with lontar leaves)
- Granulated sugar, known as Gula Semut (fine or powdery texture, depending on the sieve
- Thick sugar syrup, either Gula Aer (a runny, honey-like syrup made by the Rotenese) or Gula Sabu (a thicker version crafted by the Sabunese)
Just a reminder, the syrup ones are dangerously delicious, one spoonful and you’d be hooked !!..
As consumers become more aware about the food they consume and the impact it has on their health and the planet, traditional ingredients like lontar sugar are becoming increasingly popular. Its rich history, unique flavor, and sustainable production methods are believed to be the keys in driving the popularity & demand’s up . Let’s keep the sweet story of lontar sugar alive, one drop, one block, and one granule at a time.