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southern Thailand. The small ones can live for approximately 40 years only, found in the central
region near Mae Klong, Tajeen and Bangpakong rivers, in the gardens of Rajburi, Samutsakorn amd
Samutsongkram provinces. Gardeners prefer the small breed to make coconut sugar.
The best coconut trees to make coconut sugar should produce 12-14 buds per year.
The buds will come out abundantly in May to July, due to the rain. Gardeners make coconut
sugar from the second generation of buds as they believe that the first buds will give little sugar.
The buds must not be too young nor too old.
Gardeners would lean bamboo ladders against the coconut trees in order to inspect the
buds. If the buds are just right to make sugar, they would cut off 3-4 inches of the bud-ends,
tie them with a rope so that the buds bend slightly down, taking care not to break them, taking
3-5 days for the buds to recline up to 60ยฐ-80ยฐ. Bending down the buds is to get the most of the
palm juice. The bud shell will then be peeled, tied in sections so that the buds are not broken.
The bud-ends are sliced every day, morning and evening. When the palm juice evenly comes out,
then the bamboo flasks will be placed under the buds.
50 cm-bamboo flasks are used. At the top of the flask, a hole is pierced to tie a rope.
This is called โ€hoo-krabokโ€ or the flask ear, tying the flask to the coconut tree to get the palm
juice. They are easily hung on poles carrying across the shoulders. Nowadays aluminium or plastic
flasks are used instead.
Method of collecting the palm juice: flasks are placed in the evening because there will
be more juice at that time. However, the villagers call the evening juice: โ€Namtarn Thiengโ€
(palm juice at noon). In the flasks, there are wooden shells that give the tannin taste such as shorea
and cotyletobium preventing the palm juice from turning bad. Set aside for one night. The flasks
are un-tied in the morning. The palm juice should not be kept more than 18 hours.
Collecting the palm juice is done twice per day: in the morning from approximately
5.30 am-9 am and in the evening from approximately 3pm to 6pm. If collecting the palm juice
at later hours, the heat will easily turn the palm juice bad. There might be insects or coconut
flowers mixed in the juice, gardeners would sift with a thin white cloth before bringing to a boil.
เธญเธฒเธซเธฒเธฃเนเธ—เธข เธกเธฃเธ”เธเธ เธกเธน เธเธด เธฑเธเธเธฒเธ—เธฒเธเธงเธฑเธ’เธเธเธฃเธฃเธก 97
Thai Food : Thai Cultural Heritage ๆณฐๅผๆ–็-ไผ ็ป้ฅฎ้ฃๆ–ๅ–้—ไบง
