Palm honey from La Gomera is a natural product highly valued for its unique sweet taste with a smoky undertone.
The Canary Islands each have something distinctive in their identity. This archipelago enjoys an eternal spring-like climate and lies in the subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, a stone’s throw from Western Sahara. For this article, we’re taking a quick trip to neighboring La Gomera to highlight a product exclusive to that island.
Called Miel de Palma, or palm honey, it’s only produced on La Gomera and derived from the palm tree. While it carries the enticing name “honey,” no insects are involved in its production, nor do any bees play a role in creating this golden sweetener.
A Nutritional Flavor Profile
La Gomera, along with El Hierro and La Graciosa, is one of the smaller islands in the Canary archipelago. Over 21,000 romeros (locals) live on its 370 square kilometers, and they are incredibly proud of their national park, Garajonay, their unique whistling language, silbo gomero, and especially their famous palm honey.
This delicate product has an intense aroma and is used worldwide by renowned chefs. It’s a simple, pure product that enhances a wide variety of culinary creations, including desserts and cocktails. Palm honey boasts a unique nutritional flavor profile, ranking higher on the aromatic scale than many traditional honeys.
This culinary treasure of Gomeran cuisine is made from the sap of the Canary Island palm, Phoenix canariensis. It is a 100% natural product, rich in sugars, trace elements, and minerals, with a uniquely refined taste.
Syrup, Not Honey
Not bees, but the palm tree itself produces this prized flavor. The sap, known locally as la savia, is tapped from the trees and boiled down. Through natural fermentation, a syrup called guarapo forms, closely resembling honey. Up to twelve liters of sap can be harvested per tree, and surprisingly, the palm yields more concentrated sap when watered less. Thus, a balance between irrigation and yield is essential.
The industry has long lobbied to use the term miel or honey for a product that doesn’t come from bees. However, European regulations stipulate that “honey” can only be used if bees are involved in its creation, with no exceptions. Other plant-based sweeteners worldwide still carry the term miel, such as miel de arce (maple syrup) in North America and Canada.
Europe proposed renaming the product “Palm Syrup,” but the Canary community is steadfast in keeping the name they’ve used for centuries: miel. This stance isn’t popular with beekeepers, who worry that their honey could be confused with a syrup.
Traditional Production
What can be assured is that palm honey is a pure product, with no added substances. Furthermore, it is packed with natural sugars, calcium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc—elements not found in bee honey.
Historical records show that guaraperos (palm syrup harvesters) have existed in La Gomera since the 18th century, and in Juan de Castro’s 1856 book, he notes that the palm sap was tapped by “making a cut just below the crown before sunset.” He goes on to explain, “To make the miel, the liquid must be boiled down without adding any ingredients until it reaches the right consistency, reduced to one-fifth.”
To this day, miel de palma is still made traditionally. Much climbing, patience, and careful reduction of palm sap continue to be hallmarks of this process. Thus, this strong regional product has, for as long as anyone can remember, helped to promote La Gomera worldwide.
Pixabay © Photography
Palm Honey from La Gomera ©
More History [HERE]
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