Kithul treacle and jaggery the palm syrups and sugars what are they and what do I try and buy

Southern home cook so the palm syrups and sugars a treasured part of our food What they are these are natural sweeteners made from the SAP of palm trees tapped from the flower KITHUL the prized one made from the sap of the KITUL palm (the fishtail palm) the sap is boiled down KITHUL TREACLE (kitul pani) is the dark golden runny SYRUP (like a fragrant complex honey or maple syrup) and boiled further it sets into KITHUL JAGGERY (hakuru) the solid blocks of palm sugar kithul is considered the finest most flavourful (deep caramel notes) JAGGERY (hakuru) the solid palm sugar blocks (from kithul or coconut or palmyra sap) used as a sugar and a sweet in itself COCONUT treacle and jaggery made from coconut palm sap (also lovely slightly different) PALMYRA jaggery from the palmyra palm (more in the north the Jaffna threads) so kithul is the gourmet syrup and jaggery is the solid palm sugar How they are made traditionally a tapper climbs the palm and taps the flower to collect the sap which is then boiled down (to syrup or further to jaggery) a skilled traditional craft What to try them on the classic CURD AND TREACLE (buffalo milk curd in a clay pot drizzled generously with kithul treacle THE iconic dessert you MUST try it the tangy curd and the fragrant dark syrup are heavenly) treacle over HOPPERS and string hoppers and pittu (a sweet breakfast) jaggery eaten as a sweet with tea (a chunk of jaggery with plain tea) jaggery in the traditional SWEETS (kavum kokis and the festival sweets the sweets threads) treacle on pancakes and desktop drizzled on anything Buying good ones to take home YES a great souvenir buy KITHUL TREACLE (in bottles) and JAGGERY (blocks) to take home (treacle travels well jaggery too) buy from a reputable source (a good shop a supermarket a known brand a village producer or a spice and produce shop) for quality Telling real from fake the catch genuine KITHUL is prized and pricier and sometimes adulterated (cut with cheaper sugar syrup) so for the real thing buy from a TRUSTED source (a reputable shop brand or direct from a known producer) real kithul treacle has a deep complex flavour and aroma (not just sweet) and real kithul jaggery a distinctive taste cheap suspiciously runny or one note sweet versions may be adulterated buy quality from a trusted seller How to enjoy and buy TRY the curd and kithul treacle (essential) and treacle on your hoppers buy genuine KITHUL treacle and jaggery from a reputable shop or producer to take home (a wonderful edible souvenir) and savour the difference of the real fragrant thing So KITHUL is the prized fragrant dark palm SYRUP (kitul pani) and JAGGERY (hakuru) is the solid palm sugar (kithul coconut or palmyra) made by tapping and boiling palm sap try the iconic CURD AND TREACLE (a must) and treacle on hoppers and jaggery with tea and in the festival sweets buy GENUINE kithul treacle and jaggery from a trusted reputable source to take home (beware adulterated cheap versions) and enjoy these treasured natural island sweeteners