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Palm sugar or gula aren/jawa is a type of sugar made by boiling down the sweet sap harvested from cut flower buds of sugar or coconut palm trees. Palm sugar varies in color, consistency and sweetness from soft, gooey and creamy beige type which is sold in plastic jars to the crystallized hard and dark brown. Palm sugar sold in round disks or blocks wrapped in clear plastic or paper wrappers. The dark brown palm sugar is generally sweeter and more fragrant than the others. All can be used. If you cannot find it, substitute dark brown sugar or maple syrum for palm sugar. Hard palm sugar should be shaved or gratted into small cunks or melted in the microwave oven to measure before using. Store palm sugar in the same way as notmal sugar.