How to Use Sugar Cane Skewers

Skewers are thin, wooden stakes that are inserted through food before grilling or cooking it. Most skewers are made of bamboo, but they can be made of other types of wood or wood-like plants as well. Sugar cane skewers are used in many Asian countries as well as in Hawaiian regions. They are very similar to skewers made of other woods and impart the flavor of the sweet, sugary sap to the food. Sugar cane skewers are in the frozen food aisle and in the canned food aisle at Asian markets.

• 1

  Pick up one sugar cane skewer and hold it vertically on top of a plate so that the bottom tip rests firmly on the plate.

• 2

  Pick up one piece of food, such as chicken, shrimp, beef, fish or fruit, that is no larger than approximately 2 inches square. Place the food over the top tip of the sugar cane skewer and push it all the way down until it stops 1/2 to 1 inch from the bottom.

• 3

  Place additional pieces of food onto the sugar cane skewer in the same manner, making sure that each piece touches the pieces near it. Stop adding food approximately 1/2 to 1 inch from the top of the skewer.

• 4

  Cook the skewer on a grill or place it into a pan and cook it in the oven. Use the cooking temperatures and times for the type of food you are preparing. If using the skewer for fruit, you do not have to cook it.