Palm honey or guarapo, what is it?

Palm honey is a kind of Canarian natural treasure, hidden mainly on the island of Gomera and currently part of the culinary culture of the Canary Islands, especially on this small island

In this article you will know everything about this beneficial natural product also known as guarapo.

What is Guarapo?

The guarapo is commonly known in the Canary Islands as the famous "Palm Honey". This is a product of the leaves of the palm trees, which is obtained through a process of cutting the palm hearts and extracting their contents.

Within the leaves of the palm trees, they have a kind of vascular system that, as in animals, allows the vital substance to circulate, which in this case is called sap.

The guarapo is exactly the sage that is obtained and extracted by opening the palm heart leaves through a special process that does not allow it to be adulterated or lose its properties.  

This juice has a high nutritional value so in La Gomera, it is used pure and a juice that receives the same name is prepared. This is marketed throughout the Canary Islands as part of their culinary culture.

Origin of palm honey, how is it made?

The guarapo or palm honey, is a symbol of the culture and history of La Gomera, this product is a wealth that comes from the palm that is found in the Canary Islands, mainly in La Gomera for more than 500 years.

This is the period of time that is recorded after the conquest and that indicates that even the "guarapeo", which is the technique used for the extraction and elaboration of the so-called guarapo has been practiced for hundreds of years.

The technique for the elaboration of palm honey or guarapeo, begins with a process of extraction of the sap directly from the leaves of las palmas. To do this, the guaraperos must climb to the top of the palm and tear off the smallest leaves to expose the most substantial.

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These leaves are made a deep cut that allows to reach the cough, which is the internal and soft part of the leaf that has a whitish color.

Every day, the guarapero must go up to lower a layer of the cough so that it does not dry out and stop spilling the sap, which will run through an elaborate channel that will fall into a container where the guarapo (sap) will be collected.

After all the desired sap is collected, it is cooked or "stewed" over low heat and very carefully, which causes it to take the consistency of palm honey, and then be packaged and marketed.

Properties and Benefits

Many people claim that palm honey is much more beneficial than conventional honey. The truth is that both are products of nature and are not adulterated with some other substance, so it can be said that they are highly good for health.

Palm honey, being obtained from the sap of this plant, has a large number of natural components that can be used to improve health in different aspects.   Below we present all the properties and benefits with which we can take advantage of palm honey.

Prevents urinary tract infections

First of all, palm honey is an excellent depurative of the organism, that is, it helps to eliminate toxins from the body through the renal system, improving its functioning.

In addition, it is a natural antiseptic, so it prevents the proliferation of microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, in the body that prevents infections of any kind.

Improves the health of your body

The nutritional composition of palm honey allows you to take care of all areas of our body. This is thanks to the fact that it contains nutrients such as copper, zinc, iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium and phosphorus.

These components strengthen our body and the functioning of the different organs of our body, as well as blood circulation, cardiovascular system, etc. 

Prevents anemia

Palm honey is rich in iron and folic acid. These two components allow them to be a great nutritional support to prevent or improve anemia. This is thanks to the fact that both allow the formation of red blood cells and healthy cells in the blood and also allow the correct union of hemoglobin molecules that are responsible for the transport of oxygen in the blood.

In Canarias Shop we have a selection of the best honey of the Canary Islands, including Honey from Palma

Strengthens the musculoskeletal system

The phosphorus contained in palm honey allows the strengthening of teeth, bones and fiber of the muscles. This feature makes palm honey ideal to include as part of the diet of developing children, athletes and even older adults, since these have a more delicate bone system.

It is antiseptic

Palm honey is a natural antiseptic that prevents infections of all kinds, can be ingested as an infusion or used topically, for example, in throat infections or colds. Its high magnesium content allows it to be an excellent fighter against microorganisms, in addition to strengthening the immune system.

Serves as a hormone regulator

Guarapo or palm honey also has a high zinc content. This makes it an excellent regulator of the hormonal system, this is a necessary component during pregnancy, so it is super advisable to ingest palm honey at this stage.

It is also good during development in adolescents and to decrease the discomforts of the menopause process.

Improves the cardiovascular system

Palm honey contains sodium and potassium, these components participate in the electrical activity of the heart and are very important for the cardiovascular system, since they function as regulators of blood pressure and blood pumping in the veins and arteries of the body.