How to peel, chew sugar cane

Cha Vang Her of Her Farms grows sugar cane on his southwest Fresno farm because it is popular among immigrant Laotian families. He is also trying to introduce it to American palates.

Grown in abundance in Laos, the Asian custom is to cut down the stalks, then shave off the outer piece of cane to reveal the white fiber inside, which is then cut into smaller pieces and chewed to extract the sweet juices.

The pulp is discarded like gum when the sweetness diminishes.

Her sells stalks of sugar cane at farmers markets, such as the one held Wednesdays at Kaiser Permanente Fresno.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 5:13 PM with the headline "How to peel, chew sugar cane."