Chiwadi’s coconut flower syrup from the Thailand Box is a delicious—and organic!—honey-like sweetener. Chiwadi, based out of the Maeklong-Thajean Delta in Thailand, hires local farmers to harvest the syrup by hand, providing jobs to the community and helping preserve the area’s ecosystem. Plus, the syrup has a low GI index and is high in vitamins like potassium. We love using it to sweeten tea, but it’s also delicious in a variety of other preparations. Read on for a few suggestions.
Coconut flower syrup contains only about half of the sugar content of honey, maple syrup, and other conventional sweeteners, but is still just as flavorful—if not more. We like to spread it onto toasted and buttered English muffins to savor it in all its glory.
2. Mix into a meat or fish rub
Sweet coconut flower syrup is delicious with diced apricots over salmon or pork: simply spread the mixture onto raw meat before grilling. Alternatively, mix the syrup with Thai chili sauce for a sweet-and-spicy glaze that’s great with chicken or shrimp.
3. Roast with vegetables
Roasting vegetables concentrates their flavors through caramelization. To heighten this sweetness, combine coconut flower syrup with a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and olive oil, drizzle over broccoli, carrots, brussels sprouts, or sweet potatoes, and broil until the vegetables are nicely browned and slightly charred.
4. Glaze over cookie dough
To add slight sweetness to baked desserts, use a brush to mix coconut flower syrup with an egg wash and brush the mixture over the top of your favorite cookie dough before baking. The syrup is also great by itself with baked cookies.
5. Mix into salad dressing
Whisk coconut syrup with crushed garlic, lime juice, salt, and olive oil for a light and refreshing dressing that’s great with collard greens, kale, or papaya salad (the dressing from this recipe can be adapted). For a heartier version, add Thai chili sauce or spicy peanut sauce and spoon over a chopped carrot, red bell pepper, cucumber, and sprouts salad.
6. Serve with a cheese board
Swap the classic jam and honey for coconut flower syrup to create delicious cheese pairings with strong or aged cheeses, like Manchego, Parmesan, or cheddar.
7. Make chocolate truffles
Coconut flower syrup is similar in consistency and flavor to honey and can easily be substituted in dessert recipes. Try modifying our Salted Honey Truffles (accessible here) by using the coconut flower syrup instead of honey to give this decadent dessert a tropical twist.
