As the health concern on white sugar consumption began to grow, people are seeking other sweetener alternatives. One of the most popular alternatives to white sugar is coconut sugar. But, did you know where your coconut sugar comes from? Did you know the process to produce your beloved coconut sugar? This article covers everything that you need to know about coconut sugar for sale in Indonesia, including the harvest, production, and export.
The harvest
Coconut sugar is produced by turning coconut flower sap into granulated sugar. However, getting the coconut sap to make coconut sugar is not easy. In Central Java, one of the biggest regions that produce coconut sugar, coconut sap is harvested by tapping the coconut flower located on top of coconut trees. These coconut trees can grow as high as 30 meters, making the tapping process extremely dangerous.
Harvesters will leave the containers overnight to fill them with coconut sap. A coconut tree can produce up to 1.5-2.0 liters of coconut sap. Meanwhile, to make a kilo of coconut sugar for sale, it requires about 5 liters of coconut sap. This cycle continues daily to keep the production running.
The production
In some regions in Indonesia, coconut sugar production is done by small home industries. Farmers will bring the freshly harvested sap every morning. The collected coconut saps are then refined to eliminate any contaminants and dirt. Then, the refined sap is evaporated by heating it in a large pan.
This evaporation process will take up to 3 hours. During which, the cook must continuously stir the sap to prevent it from burning. On top of that, the heat from the firewood must be kept at the same level throughout the whole process. After a few hours, granulated sugar crystals are formed. Then, the organic coconut sugar is ready to be packed.
Export
Coconut sugar from Indonesia has been exported to various countries across the globe. These countries include the US, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, and South Korea. The export of coconut sugar from Indonesia is continuously rising, with 14.095 metric tons in 2012 and 35.578 metric tons in 2018. On top of that, with the support of the regional and central government, it is expected that Indonesia could expand its coconut sugar export to wider regions.
So, those are everything that you need to know about coconut palm sugar for sale in Indonesia. Due to the difficult process of harvesting and production, coconut sugar is known for its high price compared to other types of sugar. However, the high price of nothing compared to the health benefits that you can get from consuming coconut sugar.
