Kithul Treacle is often used as a sweetener in traditional desserts, The Treacle is also used as a sweetener in Sinhalese and Tamil New Year sweetmeats such as kavum, and aluwa.
The Kithul farmer makes sharp incisions at the base of a cluster of flowers that droop down from a branch like a bunch of grapes. He then ties a jute sack to the base of the cluster to collect droplets of sap trickling down. The Sap is collected over several days and boiled down over an open wood fire, until it reduces to a sticky and intensely sweet syrup the colour and thickness of honey
A versatile and multipurpose palm, Kithul provides strong fibre, woody stems for building materials and healthy food. Kithul flour is derived from the starch extracted from the pith (Heartwood Pulp) of the Kithul stem. Kithul flour is traditionally mixed with Kithul treacle or syrup to produced numerous porridges and sweetmeats, commonly used in festival days in Sri Lanka. Kithul Palm flour slices or as it is traditionally referred to in Sri Lanka, Kithul Piti Thalapa and Kithul Flour Porridge are two of the most flavourful and nutritious dishes made with Kithul Flour.
