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| Bottled T\toddy(kallu), Kerala. flickr.com |
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| Drunk man shutterstock.com |
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| A drunk hitting a woman with insensitive people around. dbpost.com |
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| bottled toddy (kallu). english.manoramaonline.com |
The sap is extracted and collected by a tapper who fastens an earthen pot to the cut flower stump of the palm tree to collect the liquid. The white sap that initially collected in the pot is normally very sweet and non-alcoholic before it is fermented. Well- maintained palm trees can produce 300 liters of
toddy a year, but older trees yield over 400 liters. A farmer who owns 10 coconut trees can earn up to Rs 7,500 a month and a toddy tapper who climbs up can earn up to Rs.25000 a month. The traditional toddy tappers are mainly from Thayya and Ezhava communities who form 40% of Kerala's population. In other states only certain communities are traditional tappers.
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| India coconut climbing, Alamy.com. |
The collected palm sap in the pot begins fermenting immediately after collection, due to natural yeasts in the air (often promoted by residual yeast left in the collecting container). Within two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, mildly intoxicating and sweet. The container is buried in the ground for further fermentation up to a day to yield a stronger, more sour and acidic taste, which some people prefer. Longer fermentation produces vinegar instead of stronger wine. Optimal consumption time is one day after tapping, when the vinegar content is minimal Further, distilled palm wine may produce a variety of stronger drinks, which go by different names - arrack, village gin, charayam, and country whiskey. Refrigeration extends beverage life.
In India and South Asia, Arecaceae and Borassus coconut palms and Palmyra palms get preference. Lala palm (Hyphaene coriacea) is widely used and palm wine produces unrefined sugar called jaggery by evaporation widely used in India for cooking, etc.
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| Coconut climbing .shutterstock.com |
Non-fermented sap called neera (pathaneer in Tamil Nadu) is legal in many states. It is just like fruit juice rich in potassium and is positively good for health. But, it has a short shelf life and is
to be consumed within a time frame before it becomes stale and in-consumable. In order to delay fermentation of Neera, lime is added
to fresh toddy which is said to help keep it fresh. It is refrigerated, stored and distributed by semi-government agencies.
In Kerala palm wine is sold in toddy shops (known as Kallu Shaap in Malayalam, and Kallu Kadai in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu (now banned in TN). The absence of legal toddy in TN has encouraged illicit distillers to moonshine producing arrack and sell methanol-contaminated alcohol, which sometimes may turn lethal and cause death and diseases (other forms of palm wine like arrack are banned by the govt.). To discourage this practice, authorities have pushed for inexpensive kallu in some states.)
In Kerala where hard liquor shops are strictly regulated, making toddy is legal and one needs a license from the excise department to sell it. Kallu - the sweet brew has been the official totemic drink of Kerala tourism. similar to Goa's local brew Feni. It is an agrarian based industry in this state that has the largest coconut, etc groves. About 50000 people are making their livelihood in this thriving industry that is protected by a welfare board under the labor department.
In Kerala palm wine is sold in toddy shops (known as Kallu Shaap in Malayalam, and Kallu Kadai in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu (now banned in TN). The absence of legal toddy in TN has encouraged illicit distillers to moonshine producing arrack and sell methanol-contaminated alcohol, which sometimes may turn lethal and cause death and diseases (other forms of palm wine like arrack are banned by the govt.). To discourage this practice, authorities have pushed for inexpensive kallu in some states.)
In Kerala where hard liquor shops are strictly regulated, making toddy is legal and one needs a license from the excise department to sell it. Kallu - the sweet brew has been the official totemic drink of Kerala tourism. similar to Goa's local brew Feni. It is an agrarian based industry in this state that has the largest coconut, etc groves. About 50000 people are making their livelihood in this thriving industry that is protected by a welfare board under the labor department.
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| man high on alcoholic brew. shutterstock.com |
If you set your foot in the picturesque Kerala state that is endowed with nature's bounty, no way you can miss the quaint Toddy or Kallu shanties, sort of run down wooden huts in the rural landscape tucked in the corner in the midst of greenery close to the backwaters. They serve both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of palm sap. They are run only by men and women are not allowed to sell it. Exempted from excise duty, it is available year-round. Kallu may not please the habitual drunks because of its low alcoholic content. Liquor sale in banned and is limited to certain high class hotels. so they have to be content with the local
brew.
Toddy has an alcohol content of about 8.1% and is considered natural alcohol, and a health drink in Kerala that promotes immunity against many diseases. New regulations reduce the alcoholic content to 2% to 3 % to attract tourists. ''Traditionally toddy has been considered different from other forms of liquor,” The Kerala Abkari Act of 1902 distinctly defines toddy from spirit, beer, liquor and arrack.
brew.
Toddy has an alcohol content of about 8.1% and is considered natural alcohol, and a health drink in Kerala that promotes immunity against many diseases. New regulations reduce the alcoholic content to 2% to 3 % to attract tourists. ''Traditionally toddy has been considered different from other forms of liquor,” The Kerala Abkari Act of 1902 distinctly defines toddy from spirit, beer, liquor and arrack.
, quite popular in the state of Kerala){kind=link}