How Kaong is Harvested and Made from Scratch (Sugar Palm Candy)

Kaong or sugar palm (Arengga pinnata) is a minor forest species that produces a special fruit. Kaong preserves are famously found in Halo-Halo, but very little is known about its harvesting process.
The art of harvesting Kaong is a perilous journey. Kaong farmers like Gilbert endure the steep hike into the forest in their search for the bulbous fruit, which he then laboriously cooks into the small, glass-like spheres that everybody loves. Not a lot of people know about the tree that bears the fruit that’s needed to make this sweet delicacy, which is now even harder to come by because of the heavy commercialization of the product. Join us as we learn about this precious fruit in the eyes of a Kaong farmer.
For orders: [phone]
Special thanks to:
Gilbert Biag and family
Jump to:
(0:00) Intro
(0:15) What is Kaong
(2:05) Harvesting Kaong
(10:00) Cooking Kaong
(13:40) Outro
-------------------------------
We are looking for collaborators, content producers, brands, and anyone who has a story to tell. Email us at [e-mail]
The Fat Kid Inside Studios
Erwan Heussaff - Founder
Kashka Gaddi - Content Producer
Eamonn Quizon - Cinematographer
Edel Cayetano - Story Producer
Harold Singzon - Story Producer
Mary Lournette Baligod - Story Producer
Kleo Balares - Supervising Producer
Hans Rivera - Multimedia Producer
Julius Rivera - Camera Operator
Steven Sune - Editor
Lorraine Santos - Editor
Dana Blaze - Editor
MK Tayona - Editor
Martin Narisma - Food Editor
Kathryna de Bustos - Content Manager
Chester Velasco - Production Assistant
Kevin Amponin - Production Assistant
Dustin Dagamac - Colorist
Sofia Paderes - Graphic Designer
Kim Manuel - Graphic Designer
Roanne Salvacion - Accountant
Donalyn Aranda - Accounting Assistant
Precious Vargas - Accounts Manager
Social Media:
/ featrmedia
/ featrmedia
/ featrmedia
/ erwan
/ erwanheussaff

[@darthbiker2311]

I can never look at a glass of halo-halo the same way again after this. Saludo sayo Sir Gilbert. Thanks FEATR for another insightful docu on our heirloom food products.

[@FrenchFili]

That's why when I buy from source, di ko sila binabarat. Di ako nagpapa discount. Nagbibigay pa ako ng sobra. Kung mataas presyo sa market, yun din ang presyo kahit ino offer nila ng mababa. Ganito din parents ko. At nabuhay sila ng may malasakit sa ibang tao.

[@cherrysakura2760]

Need sairin Ang foods pag binili , Namnamin Ang fruit of hardwork kahit Ng kapwa. Isa mangkok Ng food , na kaya mo lang kainin , Gold! Uubusin mo! Kaya Dito Japan , Nasa Kultura before u eat, say Gratefulness 🙏 Itadakimasu🙏

[@featrmedia]

Cheers!

[@leungho8235]

Same feeling here. I will eat it with love in remembering the people who labored for it.

[@conniejuban]

​@featrmedia how can I contact them ?..just want to give some help

[@RivenB.]

saludo sa mga taong binubuhay at pinananatiling buhay ang mga tradisyonal na produkto ng Pilipinas!

[@krystlecervantes-kh1nx]

Love how sincere and authentic this film is. You made a simple dessert mean so much because of the complexity and hard work that goes into it. Hoping that small time farmers like Kuya gets the help and recognition he needs to continue his business. Hopefully he gets the right hiking shoes and maybe a jacket that could protect him too to make his work safer. Love that he mentioned that having his wife by his side makes hard work easier. So thoughtful and genuine 🥹

[@featrmedia]

Thank you!! 🥹🥹

[@MacDeSantis]

Maybe people with compassion and can afford share their blessings with people like this couple and help them financially, etc to make their work easier so they can be more productive and perhapps encourage more people in their line of work…they our support…wala be silang cooperative? Marami pang ibang agri products like this-- ube, rimas, kondol, kamias, guayabano, buli, duhat, siniguelas, santol, suha, macapuno, pinipig, kamachile, sampaloc, pili nut, kaimito, lansones, tiesa, mabolo, balubad( kasoy), etc na hindi ko na nakikita yung iba ngayon but I remember growing up with them! Sayang kung maging extinct na lang… God has blessed us with His creation it is our duty to nurture, develop, sustain for our own nourishment…can we make them available the whoe year round and at affordable prices? Bago mag export busugin muna ang mga pilipino pls! Wishing for a caring govt talaga🙏

[@jedidiah710]

To Erwan and the whole FEATR team, thank you for the work that you’re doing. The quality of your content is just high level! Despite your huge subscriber base, I still think your content is underrated. Truly beautiful.👌🏻👏🏻

[@featrmedia]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@FrenchFili]

Please dont skip their commercials. It's a little help for their production and the people they feature.

[@avaa2314]

I live in San Francisco and the closest I get to my culture is KZbin. This makes me so sad because you see all the movies depict this and never truly grasp the true meaning until watching this. I couldn’t watch a couple mins without crying. Halo halo has always been my favorite as a child because of kaong. When I got older it was something I made sure to put in my fruit salad and halo halo. I never knew where it came from until now, I might not harvest it but I will share Gilbert’s story with my grandkids so they will use it and know where it comes from. This is truly a labor of love. Thank you for sharing Gilbert’s story❤

[@carlarabe6675]

Continue to advocate for Filipino people who give their lives to bring food to our table. Always praying that they are eating abundantly 😢

[@neliaarcilla8872]

This is the true content. Now i know how difficult to harvest kaong. Thanks to your team. I admire and praying to all farmers that are sacrificing their lives for their family.❤❤

[@filcan693]

My favorite halo-halo ingredient. Akala ko sa buko galing iyon. Respect to Mang Gilbert. Hardworking kaong gatherer to make our traditional halo-halo taste better.

[@tessharris3758]

I have so much respect for these people after seeing this documentary. It will remind me of their hardwork and resilience everytime I see a jar of kaong in my local filo shop. Documentaries like this should be shown primetime for future generations to see and most importantly our government.

[@sweetmorena]

Mas masarap talaga yung kaong na pinaghirapan at di pa naprocess galing sa mga barrio. Mostly tumutubo yung puno sa wild, sa gubat, sa gilid ng bangin pababa ng ilog kaya walang synthetic pesticides or fertilizer. Mahirap magharvest dahil delikado, sobrang kati sa balat at talagang effort bago makapag produce ng kaong. Kaya kung may magbentang mga farmers dapat huwag ng tawaran, kung pwede dagdagan pa ang bayad. Favorite vinegar ko din yung galing sa puno ng kaong, pati walis tingting yan din nakasanayan namin gawin. Galing talaga ng mga documentary / vlog ng FEATR, very interesting, educational at makabayan!

[@felixdelprado1073]

May the people who work hard and risk their lives just to put food in each everyone's table have more to harvest in life and even more blessed than what they deserve. ❤️

[@gurivning]

i love kaong and now i have a even greater appreciation for it and the likes of Gilbert who work hard to keep this practice alive. this country has so many gems that are either undiscovered or ignored or neglected because they don't seem "cool" enough. so thank you FEATR fam for shining a light on these heirlooms!! keep on keeping on!

[@shakeystwelve3085]

mapagmahal sya sa pamilya , mayaman siya sa mabuting asal , “ makikita mo sa sinabi niya at sa bwat kilos “! bro pagpalain ka lagi ng Diyos , at ang pamilya mo , bibiha ang katulad mong maliwanag at matiyaga at maunawain na tao ngayon ❤👍🏽👏🌴ingat kyo lagi

[@angeloraphael4135]

An daming kulay ng kaong white pala ang totoo, puro white na bibilhin q this time.. Salamat po FEATR team sa napakagandang docu..

[@renee2291]

To be honest ngayon ko lang nalaman where kaong comes from. When I was much younger I enjoy eating kaong as it is or as an ingredient in halo halo. It comes in natural color, and later it comes green and red color as well. Thank you so much FEATR, and kuya Gilbert (and others) for keeping the kaong industry alive and thriving. God bless all of you. ♥️

[@UploaderGuyz]

Saludo sa lahat ng lumalaban ng patas para mabuhay❤❤

[@MomiVenz]

Demonstrating the challenges faced by our local farmers as they labor through the harvest, cooking, and processing of food adds significant value for many of us. It's akin to observing a Food Insider episode. What's disheartening is that these hardworking farmers receive minimal compensation for their labor-intensive work.

[@ma.charenacheng530]

This is a true influencer. This is a true content creator. You deserve billions of subscribers. Thank you and continue to spread insights to the younger generation. Kudos to all the people featured here👏👏

[@kuyakel5082]

OA mo naman madam

[@akak8299]

Parang gusto mong palabasin n ang mga kagaya ni Ivana eh katawan at kalaswaan ang ginagamit sa vlogging. Tama ba?

[@marshortsociety8552]

thank you so much for sharing. i hope they get a FAIR PRICE in selling the products. The amount of work that involved is PRICELESS, thank you for making our dessert, salad + Halo Halo tasty, and after watching this will pay homage to all of you do all the sacrifices and hard work to make KAONG for us all. Much appreciation to you all.

[@pradojohnedison4379]

their contents gives me the vibe of "front row" kind of documentary which I love watching so much :>

[@susandejesus3972]

My favorite kaong. Let’s support the kaong from the Philippines-Bay area

[@mln7771]

I really appreciate your documentaries. They are fascinating to me. I left the PI when I was 8 years old. I'm 60 yrs old now. Grew up in North America and did not make very many visits back when we were young, 'cause life was tough. So, I"m like a foreigner and find my heritage fascinating.

[@ppw8716]

Similar story to yours. I was not yet 5yo when I left the PI. I have probably visited ~ 4x n I’m 60 yo. I watch a lot of the documentaries about the PI to learn about my country and the places that I have no knowledge or recollection of. It’s fascinating.

[@KorinaTorres_24]

I really thought that kaong is a manmade dessert that is added in our halo-halo. But because of this documentary, I finally knew that we it's actually from nature. KUDOS TO NATURE, the HARVESTERS and also to FEATR! ❤

[@jinkycariaga4895]

A simple life in province, and really love the farmers and locals on their hardwork for a living.

[@QuiChiYang2]

You guys do an outstanding job of showing us American born Filipinos the rich history & food culture. It is much appreciated & cherished. Thank you for all the work you do...Featr

[@KusinaniHaning]

Just so much appreciation for Featr's team. 🙌🙌🙌 Thank you!😊

[@faithestrada5444]

Thank you, Erwan and to the whole FEATR, for making eye opening contents.❤

[@delasol3404]

The humble kaong with a huge impact from a hard work of labor. Respect to the farmers. Saludo sa 'yo kabayan. God bless your heart and your family.

[@lynallen8950]

That was great! And a testament to Mr Gilbert and wife’s faithfulness to each other! Mabuhay po kayo and God bless you and your family!

[@jakebrian3452]

I'm not really a big fan of kaong. I usually set it aside when eating halohalo or fruit salad. But after seeing this video, I might give it another chance. ❤

[@featrmedia]

Sounds great! Thank you for watching.

[@cliffffffffffffff]

Before, I thought kaong is an artificial ingredient. This quality content right here! Kudos team FEATR!

[@redengasta5600]

I've learned that it is labor intensive before we are able to eat kaong in our sweet delicacies... Salute to the farmer.

[@junar88]

Sa tanda mong yan ngayon mo lang natutunan yan? 😅 Lahat naman ng pagkain bago makarating sa hapag kainan mo maraming tao ang naghirap diyan!

[@akosiranran_8700]

ang hirap ng proseso bago nila mabenta. hope they get a fair price from buyers. made me want to always include kaong sa fruit salad to help their market.

[@tiNgk0y1]

thank you so much FEATER.. Guys lets support our local farmers..

[@micahdeleon7820]

Grabe din pala process. Fave ko pa naman ang kaong ❤. Now I will appreciate more. 😊 Thank You featr and thank you sa mga Filipino farmers

[@brunojable]

for the men and women of this documentary..i salute you and thanks to your craft as an eye openner to all🙏

[@icerag]

Thanks Erwan and Featr team for letting us better appreciate simple but delicious ingredients such as Kaong. I will savor every kaong piece in my halo-halo from now on.

[@rjlicup6240]

you deserve wider audience, kudos to you Erwan and the team👏

[@limmykinh]

I grew up in Indang, Cavite where we have the Irok Festival. Irok is what we call kaong palm. By far my favorite halo-halo ingredient and my favorite vinegar. I have since moved to a different region but still miss my favorite irok vinegar. I hope the region can develop this industry and make it flourish not only for their economy and livelihood, but also for our heritage.

[@rowenaaggabao1684]

Kudos Erwan and Team!!!This is again a world class production and an enlightening narration of the plight of our farmers. Well done and cheers to Kaong.

[@Starofmylifecrexnfe]

Surely I love kaong, but now I surely will even more appreciate the taste and how hard working people have to do and harvest this product to make our Pinoy sweets tastier.

[@user-si5xv3ot3j]

So nice that Erwan has a following now. You finally realize your true calling is not with cooking but documentary voiceovers. Now Anne can finally be proud of you. Love you Erwan.

[@jaquilinreston1727]

Salamat Featr, sa pagtaas ng kulturang Pilipino, kahit ako di ko alam na ang kaong ay galing pala sa halaman. Dapat ganito ang tinuturo sa ekwela.

[@renze1122]

First time I know that Kaong is a fruit!!!! akala ko same sila ng nata de coco na processed rin!!! bibili na talaga ako always ng kaon hehhee 🙌🏻💯Thanks for this!! now I know!!!

[@hyasmindaclison3198]

Wow grabe naman iyan pala hirap ngayon ko lng nakakita pagkuha ingat po kayo God bless po kau ingat regards

[@allegotan8585]

one of the most favorite ingredients in fruit salad for me hnd masarap ang salad pag wala kaong di ko alam ganu pala kahirap sia makuha hopefully in the future hnd tuluyan mawala un natural kaong

[@johnbalao9582]

The government must partner with the private sector in promoting and implementing sustainable livelihood development to help our noble and hardworking farmers like Gilbert.

[@charlie1212co]

Kaong is my all time favorite ..and by wathing this video it makes me more inlove with kaong beacause of the dedication,hardwork of these couple ,i just wanna wish them a better living that they deserve😊

[@AJISAI..]

That's why I like kaong more than nata de Coco I'm so proud of Filipino Farmer.

[@francezannquintos2074]

The best talaga FEATR team!!!! Never thought na dito galing ang kaong

[@johannpauldalingay7329]

galing ako sa pamilya ng mga magsasaka. Ito ay aking ipinagmamalaki. LAKAS HIYAW!!

[@belriedagasuhan]

Thank you. People like Gilbert are such an inspiration, keep it up!

[@lifelemonswhenlifegivesule9209]

I love kaong for my chicken macaroni and fruit salad. Please continue to harvest

[@pottedcat8269]

So much respect for Manong Gilbert. And also to you, Erwan and your team. Continue to showcase the hardships of our farmers and how important and vital farming is, to our lives.

[@user-uj2sf9ej9r]

Kaong makes our fruit salad & halo-halo especial & it's more delicious if it was homemade like what Gilbert did than what we buy in the market. Hat's off to you for your hardship & dedication.

[@PDVlog473]

Wow beautiful amazing view nice sharing your vlogs sarap Yan 😊❤vlogs

[@pfneuman]

Thank you for educating us with your stories that help us be more appreciative of things that we have enjoyed as Filipinos. We know about the products but are unaware of their origins and how they are brought to our tables. More power to our kababayans who are involved in providing food for all of us to enjoy. Sana sumagana pa kayo!

[@frankiefernandez9225]

Another awesome edition of FEATR 💙💙💙

[@maybelbarere9758]

Saludo sa mga magkakaong . Alam ko ang hirap ng proseso bago maibenta. Angbpagkakaong din ang isa sa mga source of income dito sa amin.

[@user-wi9xt9mr8y]

I always admire videos like this, Thank you 🥰

[@janettesletvold8128]

I never thought the hardwork from harvesting and making it to the market this kaong it’s one of my favourite , I hope people will still continue the tradition of making Kaong and I hope that there is someone or something we can do to promote, protect, preserve and prosper this kind of production for the farmers

[@sheichiwee4292]

Paborito ko yang kaong kesa sa nata de coco. Namimiss ko tuloy ang minatamis na kaong sa mga pyesta sa probinsya. Thanks for the great video!

[@oliviaedralin1436]

I have never thought much of kaong before… never even thought you can fake it… this is such a compelling content. I’ll never look at kaong the same after watching this.

[@frankiefernandez9225]

awesome tradition 👏👏👏💙💙💙 love the 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭

[@candyllove7403]

I love Kaong very much, didn’t know how hard it is to harvest them , kudos to the farmers doing it, mabuhay po kayo ❤️

[@Mark-jd9bp]

Best food ever!. I love the narrator filipino accent.

[@MelodyIrog-Irog]

dahil sa mga content mo parang narating at natikman ko na rin ang ibat-ibang putahe nang bawat lugar na narating mo. i salute you and your whole team ❤❤❤

[@elizabethrosal463]

My super Favourite. KAONG! Salamat po

[@rebeccaticsay5126]

We should have more of these documentaries, so people can learn and appreciate how our farmers work and value their craft. We are truly blessed to have them!

[@FrenchFili]

Please dont skip their commercials so we can contribute a little to their productions at sa mga taong na feature nila.

[@cathoytv]

Thank you for this. Such an eye opener.

[@ErmaEdera]

What an insightful docu!!

[@cookiseat894]

Great sharing 👍❤️❤

[@felycacal3882]

I ‘ve never seen a real kaong ang the palm tree in real life. I thought it was just one fruit inside but it looks like there are three kaong in one fruit. Nice to know and thank you!No wonder it’s expensive because it’s hard to harvest and you have to locate them in the mountain.It’s hard labor .

[@sharminesantiago2666]

Love this content! Ang galinggg now I know how Kaong are made.

[@wooniepatootie]

to think this is one of my favorite ingredients in a fruit salad... Saludo sayo Kuya Gilbert !

[@GenelouPausanos]

❤❤❤❤❤ i love kaong so much ... thanks for this vlog ..so informative ...

[@traexielicious]

Sir Gilbert Mabuhay po Kayo proud po kami sa inyo kahit di tayo magkakilala proud na proud po kami sa i yo at salamat po sa tiyaga at sipag para sa tradisyong kultura !

[@rosaliesolanonunez9294]

I salute 🫡 people like manong for preserving our own heritage.. More Power

[@thergchannel]

Salute and Respect to Sir Gilbert and to the rest of the Kaong farmers.

[@zefmc2030]

Wow. This is very well thought. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story and insights FEATR.

[@florinasalgado5046]

Wow..one of my favorites

[@SaneTan1027]

OMG palagi ko clang maalala kpg kakain ako ng kaong.. Respect and salute s mga super hardworking kong mga kbbyan.❤❤❤

[@cynthiagonzalez658]

OMG 😱 So much work 🤯 God bless you and your family 🙏

[@KontauriC07]

Omg ang galing. 👏 never thought sa trees pala origin ng Kaong. Akala ko ginagawa lang sya

[@Schonnita]

Wow. I have greater appreciation for of kaong

[@allandupale5288]

Very nice and enlightening documentary FEATR! 👏🙏🇵🇭

[@Anne-mc7xi]

Ang galing👏. As always very informative videos from you guys 🙌👏

[@jamirkuhn5206]

This FEATR has always quality content

[@jhomin2691]

Hard working pinoys, kudos! 👍👌👏

[@jazz8787]

Thank you for posting this. I've decided to buy and use kaong for buko salad again.. and Gilbert made me appreciate kaong more. (What made me stop eating kaong in the past?.. the fake kaong sold in supermarkets.)

[@princesszhorne]

WoW! Thanks 🎉 from Atlanta Ga ❤

[@rogeneegaitan8645]

May God bless your family, Sir Gilbert.. ❤

[@dpmercado5400]

Your feature of kaong is truly appreciated Erwan! I will miss the texture and flavor of kaong as I have gone carnivore and very low carb...LOL!

[@renze1122]

Thanks FEATR another informative amazing video!!! support local 🙌🏻💯😌

[@thewagets84]

Thank you for sharing this ❤

[@bytes31]

grabe yung effort at pagod nila. salute!

[@eycie]

Thankyou team featr. ngayon alam na alam kona bakit may kamahalan ang kaong. ok lang, deserve! 💪

[@mi8189]

Kudos Kuya Gilbert and to the whole team ( Erwan & FEATR) for giving us a very informative content 🤝🫡

[@anthonynavarro4052]

You are right Erwan, dati wala namang food color ang mga sahog ng halu-halo. Yung brown sugar lang at dahon ng pandan ang sikreto.

[@Layput]

It's so cute like little coconuts.