Page 46 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2025 THAILAND

That same day, after a short bus ride,
we disembarked into the candy-sweet air of
a farm famous for coconut palm sugar. Co-
conut palms towered overhead as Ron
gamely tried - and failed - to climb the rick-
ety traditional “ladder” used for harvests.
Near the outdoor kitchen, we sipped fresh
coconut water as Joe demonstrated how
farmers painstakingly collect sap from long
flowers and slowly condense it into syrup
over fires fueled by coconut husks. Mary
volunteered to stir the thickening syrup as it
cooled into rich, sweet discs - a technique
followed for generations. The flavor re-
minded Mary of pralines or butterscotch. A
small store allowed us to satisfy what was
now an insatiable craving for sweets.
Thankfully, our next stop was lunch.
Two days later, near Sukhothai, we got
our feet wet - literally - on another farm
where water chestnuts grow. We were in-
trigued, since most of us have only seen
these crunchy vegetables in cans. Our host