Kaong palm vinegar is also known as sukang kaong or sukang irok, from kaong and irok, the native Filipino name for Arenga pinnata; and sukâ means "vinegar". It is also sometimes known as sukang tubâ, from tubâ, the general term for palm toddy produced from various palm trees in the Philippines, including coconut, buri palm, and nipa palm.
Traditional production
Kaong sugar palms are solitary monoecious palm trees usually found in riverbanks and ravines throughout Southeast Asia. They are used widely in maritime Southeast Asia for various products. In the Philippines, they are most commonly harvested for their fibers, leaves, fruits and their sap, which is used in the production of tubâ in addition to vinegar. The palms become sexually mature and start producing large fruit and flower clusters at ten to twelve years, but sometimes they can flower as early as five to six years. They are difficult to farm and their propagation usually relies heavily on local wild populations of Asian palm civets, which spread the seeds after eating the fruit. Sap can only be harvested from mature palms, as they are collected from the stalks of the male inflorescences. The flowers take a few months to develop. Before they are ready, the harvesters climb the trees and shake the stalks daily to induce the flow of sap. Once the flowers bloom, the stalk is cut and a collecting container is placed over it. Harvesters climb the trees daily to collect the sap. They transfer it to special bamboo containers slung along one shoulder known as tukil. The sap are then poured into large earthen fermenting jars called tapayan. The sap relies on wild yeast to turn the sugars into ethanol. This turns the sap into a traditional palm toddy called tubâ. Leaving it to ferment further, however, allows Acetobacter from the air to oxidise the ethanol to acetic acid. It is harvested once the level of acidity reaches four or five percent. The length of time it takes to produce nipa palm vinegar ranges from three to four weeks, though it is faster if a starter culture of yeast is used.
Kaong palm vinegar tend to be sweeter and is the least sour among traditional Filipino vinegars. Like other types of vinegars, kaong palm vinegar is used primarily in dipping sauces. It can also be used in salad dressings as well as an ingredient in various dishes.
Other countries
Similar vinegars are made in Indonesia and Malaysia from the kaong palm. But since kaong palm vinegar is a by-product of alcohol fermentation, it is not as widespread as in the Philippines and is restricted to Christian communities like in central and northern Sulawesi. Most kaong palm in Indonesia and Malaysia are cultivated for their fruits and fiber, as well as sugar production.
