Lanka’s kithul tappers gain global fame with UNESCO heritage status

Feb 9, 2026 at 12:04 PM

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ජාතික උරුමයන් සුරුකිමේ මහා සම්මේලනය

When Sarath Ananda left his job as a mechanic in Kuwait, he returned to his Sri Lankan village to embrace a family tradition. He became a fifth-generation tapper of the kithul palm, a craft now globally recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The prestigious honour has cast an international spotlight on a fragile rural industry. It battles labour shortages, rampant product adulteration, and dwindling sap supplies.

At dawn and dusk, the 63-year-old climbs towering Caryota urens trees to collect the sweet, milky sap. This sap is boiled into a caramel-coloured treacle, a syrup prized for enhancing desserts.

When boiled longer, it reduces into jaggery, a mineral-rich palm sugar. It has a lower glycaemic index than common white cane sugar.

The yield from his own five trees falls far short of demand for his homemade brand. He collects about 200 litres daily.

The UNESCO inscription has boosted recognition for this rural industry. It was historically regarded as a lowly occupation in caste-conscious Sri Lankan society.

“As a living heritage, kithul tapping is integral to communal harmony, shaping cultural identity and values,” UNESCO said upon conferring the honour in December. It reflects a deep spiritual connection with nature.

The palms grow wild and need no fertiliser. Attempts at commercial cultivation have repeatedly failed, however.

The state-run Kithul Development Board is now training 1,300 tappers to preserve the centuries-old craft. “Kithul is not unique to Sri Lanka — it is found across South and Southeast Asia,” KDB chairwoman M. U. Gayani told AFP.

“But the method of tapping the flowers is practised only by us, which is why UNESCO recognised it.” She said annual export earnings from kithul products total a modest USD 1 million, largely due to supply shortages.

Gayani estimates the island has roughly half a million kithul palms. Fewer than half are actively tapped, a sign of both the industry’s struggles and its latent potential.