Palms as houseplants with a difference

La Gomera is home to the largest number of the endemic Canarian palm tree (Phoenix Canariensis)  in the archipelago and the species is protected and cherished. More than 100.000 specimens have been counted on La Gomera and they are also a source of income for local farmers. From animal fodder, basket making, etc., to the the famous sweet ''palm honey'' (miel de palma), they play an important part in our economy. Palm honey is not bee's honey, but the syrup obtained by first cutting the crown of the palm tree, then collecting the sweet and watery sap (called 'guarapo') that rises up the trunk and further boiling the sap down to a syrupy consistency to obtain the 'honey'. This liquid is delicious, full of minerals etc., and highly valued. A Canarian palm tree may be exploited in this way only once every five years without doing damage. Read more about palm honey here...

Palm trees may not be cut down for any reason without a permit that is almost impossible to obtain, as they are a protected species. So what do you do when you want to build a house or an extension to an existing one when there is a Canarian palm in the way ? The simple answer is you just build around it and leave the tree trunk as a feature, or as a convenient clothes hanger stand, inside your house. The gap you have to leave in the roof is usually sealed with an old truck tyre's inner tube which fits the trunk neatly and allows it to expand. 

When I first came to La Gomera I lived in a house for a while where a palm tree grew  through the centre of the kitchen with frying pans and other utensils neatly dangling off hooks screwed into the trunk. The floor was tiled right up close to the base of it as Canarian palms have a vastly spread network of relatively small roots and the palm doesn't mind being encased as long as it can spread below the foundations. There was an opening in the tiling where you could pour in some of your waste water to give it a drink.

There are a good few examples of this 'symbiosis' all over La Gomera island. Above and below are images from just below La Calerea on the main road to La Playa,  Valle Gran Rey, where a palm is neatly integrated into a building. Also note that when this road was widened some years ago all the existing palm trees had to be accommodated and new ones were planted, too:

Man falls off palm tree he was working on

A young man of 26 years fell off a palm tree in the municipality of Vallehermoso, La Gomera, on Wednesday afternoon. He had fallen from a height of over four metres and suffered several injuries. He was transferred to the nearest health centre by ambulance and is said to be recovering well.

The accident happened as the man was working on the palm tree, presumably for the purpose of preparing it for the extraction of 'guarapo' which forms the base for local speciality food miel de palma (palm honey). The area above of the western village of Alojera where the incident occurred is renowned for its palm groves and several producers of palm honey are based in the area. 

Next time you enjoy the sweet delicacy bear in mind the hard work it takes to produce it.

Palm honey petition

''I like miel de palma'' logo
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After the Madrid government and the EU finally closed the door on the name miel de palma (= palm honey) for La Gomera's concentrated sap of the palm tree, the islands producers of the delicious traditional delicacy and the islands government have started a campaign to maintain the name under which it has been known since time immemorial. As it stands, regulations may allow it to be called mieldepalma only in one word, but in reality a new name would have to be found when it is widely known only as 'miel de palma' or 'palm honey'. The campaign strives to obtain an exemption from the regulations or a change of the legislation to maintain the name. After all 'soya milk' isn't milk produced by soya-munching cows either. Please sign the government-sponsord petition and help save a very old tradition.
An outraged local producer of palm honey was quoted as saying: '' What next ? They will probably prohibit the word honeymoon !''

For further information on the production of palm honey and the controversy read: Palm Honey Problems

Canary Palm trees on La Gomera

Bad News for Palm Honey

As I reported a while ago there was an attempt to get the EU to make an exception and recognise the term 'palm honey' as a unique product, even though it is not produced by bees. Now it has emerged that the term 'honey' is reserved exclusively for that produced by bees and cannot be applied to the delicious syrup made from the sap of the palm tree. La Gomera is the main supplier of this popular and healthy liquid and ironically many producers have invested a lot in recent years to keep up with EU regulations. Now politicians are blaming each other for the failure to achieve recognition and acceptance of the traditional term. I suppose a lot of printed labels will have to be dumped and the search for a new term will not be easy. Any suggestions ?

See: Palm honey problems

The Canary Palm (Phoenix Canariensis) which supplies the sap from which 'palm honey' is made

Palm honey problems

The sap is rising…
Image courtesy of: © Alexius Jorgensen

La Gomera is home to the largest number of the Canarian palm tree (Phoenix Canariensis)  in these islands and the species is protected and cherished. More than 100.000 specimen have been counted on La Gomera and they are also a source of income for local farmers. Especially the sweet palm 'honey' (miel de palma) plays an important part in our economy. Palm honey is not really honey, but the syrup obtained by first cutting the crown of the palm tree, then collecting the sweet and watery sap (called 'guarapo') that rises up the trunk and further boiling the sap down to a syrupy consistency to obtain the 'honey'. This liquid is delicious, full of minerals etc., and highly valued. A Canarian palm tree may be exploited in this way only once every five years without doing damage. It is very hard work to first climb the trunk and the battle with the very tough and sharp fronds of the crown. Most of the sap rises during the night and thus involves nightshifts for collection. To obtain one litre of palm honey eight litres of the sap are needed. The 'guarapo' (sap) tends to ferment very rapidly and so needs to be boiled soon after collection. To obtain one pint of palm honey it takes at least eight pints of the 'guarapo' palm sap and the process to boil it down takes a very long time with the repeated removal of froth and impurities which rise to the top.

The island's government wanted to get the name 'miel de palma' (palm honey) officially recognised and protected, but now the regional government have stated that this can't be done as the product is not 'miel', i.e. honey, as it isn't produced by bees.The product is just the concentrated sap of the palm and  'honey' is defined as having been collected and stored by bees. That is according to national and EU definitions for the sweet stuff.

The island's government with the help of the Canarian authorities now want to try to make 'palm honey' an exception to the official definition due to the product's historic and cultural background and importance. They also stress it's uniqueness and the fact that 'palm honey' is already established as a name which most people will not confuse with 'bee's honey'. It has a much darker colour than 'real' honey and a different, less sweet taste. They remain hopeful that an exception will be made in view of many similar local products all over the EU that were allowed to retain their original names. 

After all 'soya milk' isn't milk produced by cows which have consumed soy beans, either. We'll see, but maybe in the future 'palm honey' must be called 'Traditional Gomeran palm sap syrup' ?

For the time being the term 'miel de palma' remains in use and is promoted and protected by the 'cabildo' , i.e. the island's government , but when you're buying it make sure the bottle or jar bears the official seal with the inscription 'Alimentos de La Gomera' (see image on right), which guarantees quality and avoids confusion with the many imitations that can be found mostly in other Canary Islands, which often are totally different syrups of inferior quality imported from Asia in bulk that are packaged and sold in the Canaries under various names. The real thing is made in La Gomera: