In the distant past, it was said, 'Bang Chang is the outer orchard and Bangkok is the inner orchard'. Known as Bang Chang, the old orchard community from Damnoen Saduak Canal to the Bang KhonthiAmphawa area in Samut Songkhram province is famous for coconut sugar production. Bang Chang boasts many canals linking with numerous channels. Since this area is full of water, it is suitable for growing various kinds of fruit, especially coconuts.
The distinctive coconut variety in this area has been selected from general coconuts that produce a large amount of fresh sugar palm nectar, or nam tan sot, regularly. The larger spadix a coconut has, the greater amount of sugar it gives. Major varieties grown here include Sai Bua, Thale Ba, and Suricha.
The process of making coconut sugar begins with the orchard grower places a bamboo pole on a coconut tree for him to climb up to select spadices suitable for tapping. A suitable spadix must not be too tough to be cut off. After the suitable spadix is selected, its tip is cut open about 3-4 inches wide with a sharp knife. Then a string is tied to bend down the spadix, which will droop for seven days. The tip of the spadix is sliced daily to allow the sap to flow out continuously. In the seventh day, the sap fully flows out, and the knife is used to cut off the cover of the spadix. Next the spadix is tied with a string, and a cylindrical container is used to hold the sweet nectar dripping from the cuts. Small pieces of the payom bark are added into the container as a natural way to prevent the nectar from turning sour or being spoiled.
The sap is usually collected twice a day, one in the morning, at about 5:00 a.m., and the other one in the afternoon, at about 5:00 p.m. Spadices produce more sap in the morning than in the afternoon because of longer hours in the drooping position during nighttime. The grower brings with him a vacant container to replace the filled one each time he climbs up the tree.
After the nectar from the coconut tree is collected, it is-filtered through a thin white piece of cloth, which keeps out pieces of wood, coconut flowers, insects, and dust, and through a sieve, called krachon in Thai. Then the lightly fluid is poured into a wok over an earthen stove. It is boiled for about one hour after when it becomes concentrated syrup in dark yellow. Later, the work is placed on a bamboo basket andthe sugar is whipped to a smooth texture with a wooden stick. The brown coconut sugar is then dropped in small lumps, or spooned onto shallow round molds and left to set and harden. About seven bucks of fresh sugar palm nectar can be made into one buck, or 30 kilograms, of dried sugar.
Today Bang Chang coconut sugar is regarded as a product that makes a name for Samut Songkhram. When compared with coconut sugar in other areas, Bang Chang coconut sugar is more aromatic and even sweeter. So it is popularly used as an ingredient for numerous kinds of Thai food and dessert.
The distinctive coconut variety in this area has been selected from general coconuts that produce a large amount of fresh sugar palm nectar, or nam tan sot, regularly. The larger spadix a coconut has, the greater amount of sugar it gives. Major varieties grown here include Sai Bua, Thale Ba, and Suricha.
The process of making coconut sugar begins with the orchard grower places a bamboo pole on a coconut tree for him to climb up to select spadices suitable for tapping. A suitable spadix must not be too tough to be cut off. After the suitable spadix is selected, its tip is cut open about 3-4 inches wide with a sharp knife. Then a string is tied to bend down the spadix, which will droop for seven days. The tip of the spadix is sliced daily to allow the sap to flow out continuously. In the seventh day, the sap fully flows out, and the knife is used to cut off the cover of the spadix. Next the spadix is tied with a string, and a cylindrical container is used to hold the sweet nectar dripping from the cuts. Small pieces of the payom bark are added into the container as a natural way to prevent the nectar from turning sour or being spoiled.
The sap is usually collected twice a day, one in the morning, at about 5:00 a.m., and the other one in the afternoon, at about 5:00 p.m. Spadices produce more sap in the morning than in the afternoon because of longer hours in the drooping position during nighttime. The grower brings with him a vacant container to replace the filled one each time he climbs up the tree.
After the nectar from the coconut tree is collected, it is-filtered through a thin white piece of cloth, which keeps out pieces of wood, coconut flowers, insects, and dust, and through a sieve, called krachon in Thai. Then the lightly fluid is poured into a wok over an earthen stove. It is boiled for about one hour after when it becomes concentrated syrup in dark yellow. Later, the work is placed on a bamboo basket andthe sugar is whipped to a smooth texture with a wooden stick. The brown coconut sugar is then dropped in small lumps, or spooned onto shallow round molds and left to set and harden. About seven bucks of fresh sugar palm nectar can be made into one buck, or 30 kilograms, of dried sugar.
Today Bang Chang coconut sugar is regarded as a product that makes a name for Samut Songkhram. When compared with coconut sugar in other areas, Bang Chang coconut sugar is more aromatic and even sweeter. So it is popularly used as an ingredient for numerous kinds of Thai food and dessert.