Palm sugar

P. dactylifera is common in the Mediterranean and Middle East, while P. sylvestris is native to Asia, mainly Pakistan and India.

The nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) is native to the coastlines and tropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) is native to the coastal and tropical regions of Asia, mainly China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The sap used to produce palm sugar is known in India as gur and in Indonesia as gula aren.

[5] Palm sugar is an ingredient in both sweet and savoury dishes used throughout Asia,[6] the Middle East, and North Africa.

[7] Palm sugar is known by many names and variants depending on its ingredient, production method, or region.

Traditionally, gula melaka is made by extracting the sap from the flower bud of a coconut tree.

Next, the sap is poured into bamboo tubes 8–10 centimetres (3–5 in) long and left to solidify to form cylindrical cake blocks.