Kist Kithul Treacle is a dark, pourable syrup made from the sap of the kithul palm, one of the oldest sweeteners in Sri Lankan kitchens. It comes in a 340ml glass bottle under the Kist label, and the ingredient list on the back carries a single line: kithul treacle.
Kithul sap is gathered by tappers who climb the palm and cut its flower stalk, catching the slow drip in a pot hung beneath it. The sap is filtered and then boiled until it thickens into a glossy, amber-brown syrup; boil it further and it sets into jaggery. The tapping craft, known in Sinhala as Kithul Madeema or Kithul Kapeema, is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
This bottle is marketed by Cargills Agrifoods and processed and packed by Nilwala Food Products in Deniyaya, in the south of the island. The label lists ISO 9001, ISO 22000, HACCP and GMP marks, and its front panel carries the colour-coded sugar, salt and fat indicators used on Sri Lankan food packaging.
In Sri Lanka the classic way to eat kithul treacle is poured over thick buffalo curd, the pairing pictured on the label. It is just as good over pancakes, hoppers, porridge or ice cream, stirred into tea, or used in place of golden syrup in baking. Its flavour is deeper and less cloying than plain sugar syrup, with a faint smoky edge from the long boil.
The label gives a serving as 10ml, which makes roughly 34 servings to the bottle. Keep it tightly capped in a cool cupboard and use a clean, dry spoon.
