<![CDATA[Fruit leather is a processed fruit product in the form of thin, flexible sheets prepared by pureeing fruit flesh and subsequently drying it, typically characterized by a plastic, chewy texture and a sweet taste that retains the fruit's original flavor. This study investigated the effect of sugar concentration on the physical, chemical, and organoleptic characteristics of Pondoh salak (Salacca zalacca) fruit leather. A non-factorial CRD was employed, comprising six sugar concentration treatments (15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, and 40%) with three replications. The parameters evaluated included tensile strength, moisture content, ash content, pH, and hedonic scores for texture and taste. Results showed that tensile strength, moisture content, decreased significantly with increasing sugar concentration, while ash content and pH increased significantly. Sensory texture scores were significantly affected by sugar concentration, peaking at 25%, whereas taste scores showed no significant differences among treatments. The optimal treatment was obtained at 25% sugar concentration (P3), yielding a tensile strength of 0.29 MPa, moisture content of 11.33%, ash content of 1.35%, pH of 4.33, and sensory scores of 3.28 for both texture and taste. These findings demonstrate that sugar concentration is a critical formulation parameter governing the physicochemical and sensory quality of Pondoh salak-based fruit leather. ]]>
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