This is syrup made with pure gula melaka (coconut palm sugar). You can find coconut palm sugar in the supermarket, though most of those has added fillers and cane sugar. I was lucky enough to get my supply of gula melaka in its pure form, with no adder filler, sugar, and whatnots.
Gula Melaka has a much lower glycemic index, and is suitable even for some diabetics (please do talk to your doctor if you are diabetic and would like to try the gula melaka). It's not lower in calories than other sugars tho, diet watchers, do take note.
It has a smokey caramelised aroma, and it goes really well with coffee. I take my tea with it as well. And I use it in a lot of my baking.
In its solid form, it's not too hard, and will crumble if you pinch some of it between your fingers. I normally store mine in a air-tight container in the fridge.
I buy my gula melaka by the kg, and it comes in about 3-4 cylindrical blocks per kg.
To make the gula melaka syrup, I put one cylinder block into a small pot and add about 1/4 cup of water. Using a low flame, let the gula melaka melt, stirring occasionally with a spoon. Be careful, because it can bubble up and splatter, and boiling sugar can burn you!
Once all the gula melaka has melted, I use a fine metal strainer and strain it into a glass bottle and let cool on the counter. It will thicken further as it cools. Once it's cool, store in the fridge.
On how much water to add, it can be from a few tablespoons to 1/2 cup, depending on what the syrup is used for. If only very little water is added, do keep a constant eye when melting down the gula melaka, as it can get burnt when all the moisture evaporates.
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