The sweet craft of palm sugar in An Giang

Palm sugar is a specialty of the Bay Nui region of An Giang as it is used to cook sweet soups or prepare various dishes.

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The palm sugar season is known to run from the 10th lunar month of one year to the fourth lunar month of the next. During this season, local people climb the palm trees and set up tools to collect the sap from the flower stalks. This sap is the raw material for making sugar.

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The palm tree is closely associated with the life and culture of the Khmer people in the Bay Nui region. It is common to see locals collecting sap from the flower stalks to make palm sugar.

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A local farmer harvests sugar palm fruit, which is enjoyed as a refreshing drink during the summer, while fruit from older trees is used to make handicrafts.

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The quality of palm sugar depends on the maker’s skills.

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The sap is poured into a pot and heated to remove impurities from the initial processing.

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The sap is cooked in a large pot in several hours. When the sap turns into a form of syrup, it is stirred again until it cools down and becomes solid.

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Stirring the liquid sugar

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Checking the smoothness and thickness of sugar

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Palm sugar, a specialty of An Giang, is favoured by locals and tourists for its unique light sweetness to enhance the flavour of meals.

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The palm tree is not only used to make sugar but also provides many other products, including palm wine, fresh juice, sweet soup, jelly, cakes, leaf paintings, and palm syrup.