Palm Sugar from the Central Market in Siem Reap

My introduction to palm sugar was very serendipitous; our tour guide mumbled something about stopping on the side of the road to sightsee.  We didn’t understand what the attraction was (given we were in the middle of nowhere) but we gave him the benefit of the doubt and stopped.  To our surprise, we were standing in what could basically be called a roadside kitchen.  There a mother and her young child stood stirring a boiling pot of liquid that looked kind of like maple syrup, but thinner.  The equipment was simple, but crude.  Our guide explained that this was the sugar of palm leaves, and offered us a brown-sugar like candy to try; the rich, earthy flavour cannot be described.  Palm sugar is Cambodian candy, but because it has no preservatives or additives, it is the sugar sweet taste without the downside.