Indonesia is one of the world’s largest coconut producers. However, behind the sweetness of coconut sugar, which is now reaching international markets (Japan, America, and Europe), lies the life stories of dedicated farmers. They are not just farmers, but traditional artists and scientists who maintain quality with strict discipline.
It’s not uncommon to see farmers aged 50-70 still nimbly climbing coconut trees 10-20 meters high.
Fact: They know each tree like a family member. Tired trees are given rest, while productive trees receive extra care.
The sap tapping process begins in the early morning (3:00-4:00 AM WIB) and continues into the afternoon. While others are asleep, farmers are already walking along the rice paddy embankments towards their gardens.
This dedication means they are willing to forgo morning gatherings to ensure the sap drips perfectly.
In the industrial era, many have turned to instant granulated sugar. However, coconut sugar farmers persevere because of their dedication to their ancestral heritage and a distinctive taste that machines cannot replace.
The sap must be collected within 12 hours of being cut. If it’s harvested later, the sap will ferment. The result? The sugar will become acidic and unable to be crystallized.
Farmers are disciplined: by 6:00 a.m. the sap is down from the tree, and by 7:00 a.m. it’s on the stove. A one-hour delay means a loss in quality.
Quality farmers don’t just use bamboo. The bamboo tube (the container for the sap) must be thoroughly washed and dried.
When cooking, they are disciplined in maintaining the fire so that it’s not too high (which can burn the sugar) or too low (which can prevent the sugar from crystallizing).
Export Standards: Assisted farmers are now trained to use stainless steel containers and firewood that doesn’t emit excessive smoke to prevent contamination of the sugar.
“Our farmers don’t just plant trees, they plant the future. And from those trees, the sweetness of Indonesia flows throughout the world.”
Every sweet grain of coconut sugar on our tongue represents:
Timeless dedication,
Hard work that ignores pain, and
Discipline that doesn’t tolerate the word “good enough.”
Cleaning (Re-Trimming): Every morning and evening, the tips of the flower clusters must be thinly sliced to ensure the sap continues to flow. If this is done even a few hours late, the sap will solidify and production will decrease.
Transportation: The sap, collected in bamboo tubes weighing 5-10 liters, must be transported up and down the tree. A farmer may climb up and down the tree 10-20 times a day.
Traditional Cooking: The process of cooking the sap into sugar takes 3-5 hours over a wood-fired stove at intense heat.
Scratches from bamboo, bee stings, and the risk of falling from trees are consequences they face every day.
Inspiration: A farmer in Brebes once said, “It’s not the fear of falling that I worry about, but the fear that my family won’t eat if I don’t climb.”
“Three in the morning is not a burden. It is the time when God is distributing sustenance, and I want to be the first to receive it.”