What is Rapadou ?

Rapadou is the name given to an unrefined variety of sugar used by a lot of people here. You could assimilate it as brown sugar but it is even less sophisticated.

How they make Rapadou

Extract the sugar cane juice. Pour it in a pan and boil it.

After a few minutes you will obtain a thick syrup. This is called sugar cane syrup. You can you use it to swetten juice, or milk (with cereals yummy).

If you keep on boiling it, after a while it granulated itself. But to make it even more granulated, or to accelerate the process, take apart some of the syrup and mix it with some wood cinders (yes wood cinders). After a few minutes filter the syrup and put it back in the main pan.

When it is very thick pour it in a Kayèt and let it cool down. You now have bars of Rapadou that you can cut in slices an use as needed.

But what is a Kayèt (ka like in cat and èt like in pet)

It is the name given to the the recipient you pour the Rapadou to let it dry. It is made from the bark of a special kind of tree, the Royal Palm-tree.

Take off some of the bark and roll it as a cylinder. Use a few thin laminas as sewing thread to keep the cylinder as a whole. Only then you pour the Rapadou in it.

The kayèt is a very useful recipient. It prevents the Rapadou from melting even if not putted in a refrigerator and is very ecological too.

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