Palmyrah Palm Toddy-Sweet, Sour &Fruity Beverage/Sap Obtained by Tapping female Inflorescence

A popular drink in Sri Lanka and Kerala State of India.

I am from Northern Sri Lanka, Jaffna, where Palmyrah Palms are growing in millions.

Borassus flabellifer, commonly called palmyrah palm, toddy palm or lontar palm, is a large fan palm that typically matures to 60' tall and to 25' wide featuring a straight solitary gray trunk (to 3' in diameter) ringed with leaf scars and a globose crown of rigid palmate leaves (each to 8-10' long) with spiny stalks.

That is the Palmyra palm tree can reach as much as 30 meters and is found in tropical climates.

This Palmyrah palm provides good, shelter, health and lifestyle for rural dwellers in Sri Lanka and India.

One of the favourite foods or drinks is Palmyrah toddy. Toddy is a naturally fermented beverages with small percentage of alcohol.

This is made from the sap of the florets of the palmyrah Pam flower. The sap is collected in a clay pot and used to create an array of products, including Palmyra toddy and sugar.

The taste of palmyra toddy is unique and cannot be compared to any other drink. It has a sweet and slightly sour taste that is both refreshing and invigorating. The drink is known for its cooling properties and is often consumed during the hot summer months.

Female inflorescences are branch less, large than male spathe. Female inflorescence has 2-4 branches. In every inflorescence are found 30-75 female flowers. Female flowers are large and spherical shape with a six-folds.

Femal inflorescence are tied firmly before opening and scored at the tip of the flower. Then inflorescences are tapped to make bruise or crack on them. Through these bruise or crack, the saps from the inflorescence drip into a collection pot.

This dripping take place overnight. After about 24 hours, sap is collected as liquid.

The collected will be naturally fermented if not it will be sweet. This sap is called today. Palmyra toddy is made by fermenting the sap, which converts the sugars in the sap into alcohol. The resulting beverage has a slightly sweet, sour, and fruity taste that is unique to Sri Lankan Palmyra toddy.

In Sri Lanka, it is known as kallu or toddy. In South India, it is also known as Palm Wine, while in Northern India, it is called Neera. It is considered to have health benefits when consumed fresh. It has a highly sweet flavour and is not alcoholic untli fermented.

It contains zinc, potassium, magnesium, iron, sugar, protein, amino acids, vitamin C, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6 which are very beneficial to our health.

The following are some of the health advantages of Palm Toddy:

The antioxidant vitamin C, often known as ascorbic acid, is present in Palm Toddy. Thiamine, often known as vitamin B1, is a component of Palm Toddy and aids in visual improvement. For better vision, many people drink fresh Palm Toddy. In West and Central Africa, it is a widely practised practice.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the value of consuming Palm Toddy in moderation to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. It contains potassium, which can decrease blood pressure and improve heart health.

Because it includes Vitamin B2, Palm Toddy may help in the fight against cancer. Vitamin B2, usually referred to as riboflavin, is an antioxidant that supports the body’s defence mechanisms.

The palmyrah is a special and versatile plant that has been utilised for centuries in Sri Lanka and other Southeast Asian countries to provide food and beverages.

For its many uses in anything from food and beverage production to building and medicine, this palm tree is highly sought after.

Palmyra pulp, collected from ripe fruit, is utilized in a variety of traditional foods, and its juice is a seasonal, low-cost drinking juice due to lack of mechanization.


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