Among all the things that Bengal is famous for, their undying love for sweetmeats undoubtedly ranks at the top. Rasgulla, sandesh, mishti doi, chom chom, pati shapta and the like have charmed sweet lovers across the globe, tempting them to find every small reason to make their way back to the sweet decadence.
But amidst all of these, what seems to attract most attention in recent times is this one particular ingredient - nolen gur or coconut/ palm sugar, the sweet makers' secret weapon.What is Palm Sugar?Palm sugar is a sweetener that is made from the sap present in the flower buds of the coconut palm tree. It is known as natural sugar because it involves minimum processing and no chemicals are used. The sap from the tree is heated to wick away the moisture content until a thick syrup is obtained, and this sweet nectar is then further reduced to crystals. In the stores, palm sugar is available in the block, granular and liquid form.Though, of late, many speculations revolve around palm sugar and its health benefits, it has been a common ingredient used in the preparation of traditional dishes in south and south-east Asian cuisines. The sugar has a mild caramel flavour and in its liquid form resembles honey whereas in the granular state, it is not much different in taste as compared to white sugar. It is used in making curries, sauces and desserts. What had stirred up a storm in the food scene a few years back was the creation of innovative desserts - ice creams, puddings, panna cottas and souffles - using the molten nolen gur, also known as khajur gur.
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