How Kaong is Harvested and Made from Scratch (Sugar Palm Candy)

- Oh! It is painful in the feet. It's a fast pace. Sleepless. Sometimes we stay up all night. Is it already so difficult to do and also pretend? - There was a time when everything in your halo-halo was 100% natural; No fake colors or ingredients. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just nice to see where things started. Nata de coco, for example, delicious but not really found in nature. But at the bottom of most glasses is this simple fruit. It has a strange, chewy, bouncy, unique texture. Apart from this sensory memory, what do we really know about the

kaong

?

Could you point out a

kaong

tree if you saw one? Kaong comes from an endemic native

sugar

palm

tree called Arenga pinnata. The trees, which thrive in forested areas of the Philippines, are maximized by local growers every harvest season. Its sap is converted into a traditional ingredient called 'pakaskas' in some provinces or into different forms of

sugar

. While its bark is used for furniture. However, if you walk into a supermarket isle, Kaong doesn't seem so special. The fluorescent colors and banana flavor spoil the true artisanal nature of the fruit. Each tiny, transparent fruit is picked by hand before being preserved.

However, it could be used in many different dishes, not just halo-halo. The strenuous harvesting process and the price of basic products in supermarkets discourage local producers, putting the tradition at risk of being forgotten by future generations. Despite the struggle, people like Gilbert persevere. In Pagsanjan, Laguna, Gilbert strives to continue traditional kaong harvesting methods. - You can get blisters here if you don't wear boots. I fish here. When I don't have work, I always end up here at the falls. And now, I gather Kaong here to earn some money. - Gilbert makes a living by making and selling charcoal.

But last year, he joined community elders who had been collecting kaong in the forests of the hills of Lumban, Laguna. Since then, he took it upon himself to master the art of kaong. His journey to the sugar

palm

s requires a grueling hour-long walk from his house. He is usually accompanied by his wife, who helps him and makes sure he returns home safely every night. -He is steep. If you slip a little, you could roll down. That's why I don't wear slippers because it's slippery. I only go barefoot. That's right, you have to fight before you can win.

The kaong meeting I'm doing is very hard work. The road here is already hard. That's where it's infested with ants. They bite. Let's go this way, the kaong is here. - Before even reaching the fruit, Gilbert faces a giant challenge. Seeing him practically running on it, you can say that this is his first climb. - It's hard to climb to get here, it's painful. Before you can climb high, you have to grab onto those branches. You have to hold on tight so you don't fall. Oh! The spines. Oh! -High in the sugar palm trees, Gilbert carefully harvests the kaong, making sure the resin from the fruit does not touch his skin. - The sap also stings.

He feels like he's been stung by a caterpillar. They cut it checking if it is ripe. One wrong move here guarantees you ending up in either of two places: the hospital or the cemetery. He said, "Wow, this fruit looks really nice, all grouped together." I picked one up, the sap ran out, it started to sting, until it spread throughout my body. I had to bathe in the river, I soaked for a while before it left, it took almost an hour. That's why you can't go without a jacket because it's itchy. We will put what we gather in bags.

Monkeys eat this too. It is necessary not to hurt yourself to avoid itching. You will know if it is ripe when it is already whitish. We're done here. We will know how to take this downhill. This one weighs around 35 kg. This is difficult to take downhill. You have to be very careful. It takes two weeks before you can sell them all. We're almost there, just a little further. Slowly. My feet hurt. There you can already see the town. - In a pot, Gilbert lets the

harvested

kaong boil for two hours. - We'll see. I'll get something to use as a net to collect the kaong, so it won't be difficult to get it out of the pot.

Almost everything that is used to make kaong here, I make it myself. Like this sapyaw (shovel net). This is the designated job. This job is really good. So that you don't feel alone, you can sing. If you don't have patience, you won't be successful. - Once the kaong is cooked, Gilbert searches for the fruit with his hand

made

sapyaw (shovel net). After waiting for it to cool, he opens it and takes out the gummy-like fruit. - In situations like this, sometimes, with hard work, things are also achieved. We cook it, mix it to make it tastier than buying it in the city where some are fake, you won't fully experience the taste of kaong.

It is better than those bought in cans or jars. Because a lot of preservatives are put in there, but with this there are still no chemicals. It's really tastier when it's home

made

. Working to collect kaong, although it is difficult, my spouse accompanies me when I climb the mountain. In difficulties and in comfort, you are together. - In times of mass production, in the hands of farmers like Gilbert are traditional methods that we might forget over time. Each scar shows his commitment to a fruit as small and simple as the kaong. We owe it to our farmers to remember the gifts they have unfailingly given us.

By supporting our producers, eating traditional sweets, and valuing the laborious process involved, perhaps we can help our generation and those to come remember the abundance of our land.