Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Fruit of the week: Lao Palm Sugar Cake (num taan)

Brand: DHL?

Place of Purchase: Laos Market in Syracuse, NY

Country/Region of Origin: Thailand

Price in New York : $1.99 for about 10 1-ounce cakes

Description: Golden cakes of pressed sugar

Flavor: Sweet with caramel and grassy notes

Aroma: Grass and sugar

Texture/Mouth-feel: Smooth, crunchy

Notes: All right, I know that this isn't technically a fruit or a libation.  But I picked these up because I had never had them before and they looked so good.  These little golden nuggets drew me in and I popped one in my mouth in the car.  That would not be the traditional use, for sure.  Typically they would be used as sweeteners for tea, sauce or soup.  The flavor was amazing and supposedly this type of sugar is more nutritionally sound and has a lower glycemic index than table sugar.  I just wanted to share my experience, before I ate them all.