Sugarcane: Chew the Sweet Stalk, Spit the Fiber

Chewing Sugarcane — อ้อย (oi) — Saccharum officinarum.

Sugarcane — อ้อย, aoy. Everyone chews the sweet stalk, but the liver-injury work used discarded leaf extract. The edible part is the stalk, chewed fresh or pressed into sugarcane juice. In animals, sugarcane leaf extracts were tested against liver-injury markers. Pla Taphiam Tom Khem is a slow-simmered barb fish cooked over sugarcane stalks until the bones are soft, classically eaten with jasmine rice and fresh chilies. Oi Khwan consists of peeled sugarcane cut into small rounds, chewed cold from a bed of crushed ice to release its sweet juice. The fibrous stalk is chewed for its sweet juice and then spat out; the juice is mostly natural sugar, so it is enjoyed in moderation. To propagate, lay a mature cane stalk horizontally in a shallow trench; each node sprouts a new shoot.

Pla Taphiam Tom Khem — ปลาตะเพียนต้มเค็ม (plaa-ta-piam-tom-kem)
Oi Khwan — อ้อยควั่น (oy-kwan)

Research context

Sugarcane leaf extracts protected the liver in animal studies — J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol, 2021 (animal); note: cane juice itself is high in sugar

Sources

Source: Hepatoprotective effect of ethanolic sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) leaf extract. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol (2021), PMID 34214375; molasses polyphenols & alcohol liver damage (PMC12073286)

Narration transcript

Opening

You chew a length of sugarcane for the sweet juice, then spit out the dry fiber. Sugarcane — อ้อย, oy. The edible part is the stalk, pressed fresh into juice over ice, or laid under simmering fish to sweeten the broth.

Pla Taphiam Tom Khem (ปลาตะเพียนต้มเค็ม)

For pla taphiam tom khem, this slow-simmered barb fish is cooked over sugarcane stalks until the bones turn soft, classically eaten with jasmine rice and fresh chilies.

Oi Khwan (อ้อยควั่น)

For oi khwan, this street snack is peeled sugarcane cut into small rounds, chewed cold from a bed of crushed ice to release its sweet juice.

Closing

The juice is mostly plain sugar, so sip it as a treat and go easy. To grow your own, lay a mature stalk on its side in a shallow trench and let each node throw up a fresh shoot. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

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