Coconut flower nectar
Coconut flower nectar or coconut flower juice is the clear liquid extracted from the sap of coconut flower stems.[1][2] It can be drunk raw or processed into a spirit.[3]
History
The harvesting of coconut flower nectar ( Thai: น้ำหวานดอกมะพร้าว) a longstanding agricultural practice in some countries in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam and Thailand. In Vietnam, the process had largely followed out of practice with agricultural advancements.[4] Members of the community in Tra Vinh are reviving the practice, as saltwater intrusion into the Mekong Delta has forced farmers to turn away from harvesting the coconuts themselves.[3][5][6]
Thailand
In Thailand, coconut flower nectar (Thai: น้ำหวานดอกมะพร้าว, RTGS: nam wan dok maphrao) is primarily harvested from palm sugar trees in the country's central plains region, including Samut Songkhram province.[7] The nectar can be drank raw and fermented and distilled into an alcohol known as "drunken sugar" (Thai: น้ำตาลเมา, RTGS: nam tan mao).[8][7]
Onson (Thai: ออนชอน), founded by Tammawit "Tiger" Limlertcharoenwanich, is a distillery based in Sakon Nakhon province in Isaan, which produces a spirit from the nectar.[2] In 2022, then Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat listed Onson as one of his favorite Thai spirits.[9][10]
References
- ^ Fuller, Janet Rausa (2017-04-07). "Is Coconut Nectar the New Agave?". Epicurious. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ a b Punch. "Want to Make Spirits In Thailand? Good Luck". PUNCH. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ a b Barauna, Victoria (2024-07-22). One woman’s quest to help Vietnamese farmers extract nectar from their coconut crops shrunk by climate change | CNN. Retrieved 2025-01-29 – via www.cnn.com.
- ^ "Young Khmer-Vietnamese woman earns high profits from flower "massage"". VietNamNet News (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ "Vietnamese ethnic woman revives rural coconut planting community with pioneering coconut flower sap". Tuoi Tre News. 2020-05-26. Archived from the original on 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ "Have you ever tasted Vietnamese coconut nectar?". Tuoi Tre News. 2022-01-20. Archived from the original on 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ a b "This sustainable coconut farm legally produces alcohol under Thailand's strict laws - DRiNK". www.drinkmagazine.asia. Archived from the original on 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ Sauers, Craig (2024-06-07). "Discovering the spirit behind Thai spirits". Critical Drinking. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ "อวย "พิธา" ปลุกกระแสสุราท้องถิ่น "ออนซอน" เหล้าเมืองสกลขายเกลี้ยงสต๊อก". mgronline.com (in Thai). 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ ข่าวสด (2023-06-05). "เจ้าของ 'ออนชอน' ขอบคุณ 'พิธา' ชี้คนสกลนครแท้ ๆ ยังเพิ่งรู้ว่ามีสุราพื้นบ้านตัวนี้". ข่าวสด (in Thai). Retrieved 2025-01-29.