palm-sugar — Martin M. Bartelt

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Presence Coaching

Martin M. Bartelt

Presence Coaching

Martin M. Bartelt

Presence Coaching

Traditional palm sugar produktion
in Sumatra

Meet Tukimen in Lampung, Sumatra / Indonesia. He owns 32 coconut palms, which were planted by this grandfather.

Twice daily he climbs barefoot (without security) every palm-tree to harvest the flower’s nectar at a height of 20 - 24 m, and to prune the palm flower, so it continues to produce nectar ‘nira’.

In an annex to his house he prepares the palm sugar.

The canisters, in which he collects the nectar of 2 days, are emptied into a metal dish for heating.

A braided ring made of bamboo prevents over-cooking.

The sugar syrup is thickened by constant agitation.

Trimah prepares the bamboo molds to dry the sugar syrup.

The coconut palms also supply the fuel for the fire.

The sugar caramelises slowly and Tukimen checks its consistency.

His wife, Trimah, helps him to take the hot palm sugar syrup from the fire.

Tukimen stirs the sugar syrup and cools it on the edge of the kettle.

Trimah checks the consistency of the sugar.

She fills the prepared bamboo molds with the liquid sugar syrup.

Tukimen opens a coconut for refreshment in the hot room.

Trimah checks whether the sugar is dry enough to take it out of the bamboo molds.

Tukimen's father was still riding the bike to visit his palm trees, nowadays the motorcycle makes the work a bit easier.

Tisa, the eldest daughter, helps to loosen the sugar cones from the bamboo molds.

The result of 2 days of tireless work on 32 palm trees and many hours over the fire are 25 kg of palm sugar.

Per kilo of dried palm sugar kones Tukimen and Trimah get 6000 Indonesian Rupiah - about 0.40 Euro. One kilo of rice costs 9500 IDR.

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