Africa es in
Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (). In Africa, the sap used to create palm wine is most often taken from wild
date palms such as the
silver date palm (
Phoenix sylvestris), the
palmyra, and the
jaggery palm (
Caryota urens), or
oil palm such as the
African oil palm (
Elaeis guineense) or from
Raffia palms,
kithul palms, or
nipa palms. In part of the central and western
Democratic Republic of the Congo, palm wine is called
malafu. Palm wine plays an important role in many ceremonies in many tribes and nations of Nigeria such as among the
Igbo and
Yoruba peoples, and elsewhere in
Central and
Western Africa. Guests at weddings, birth celebrations, funerals, and gatherings to observe important festivals and holidays are served in generous quantities. Palm wine is often infused with medicinal herbs to remedy a wide variety of physical complaints. As a token of respect to deceased ancestors, many drinking sessions begin with a small amount of palm wine spilled on the ground ( in
Kikongo ya Leta). Palm wine is enjoyed by men and women, although women usually drink it in less public venues. In parts of southeastern Nigeria, namely
Igboland, palm wine is locally referred to as "mmanya ocha" (literally, "white drink"), with "ngwo" and "nkwu" variants. It plays a very important role in traditional Igbo settings. In Urualla, for instance, and other "ideato" towns, it is the drink of choice for traditional weddings. A young man who is going for the first introduction at his in-laws' house is required to bring palm wine with him. There are varying amounts of palm wine required, depending on the customs of the different regions in Igboland. This culture can be observed similarly in the neighboring north-western regions of Cameroon. (North West Region). Poyo is a fermented drink made in
Sierra Leone from various species of palm trees. In Sierra Leone, poyo plays an important role among the local people. According to the Limbas people, one of the oldest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone, he who brings poyo brings life. It is served at weddings, birth celebrations and funeral wakes. There are four types of palm wine in the central and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo. From the oil palm comes
ngasi,
dibondo comes from the
raffia palm,
cocoti from the coconut palm, and
mahusu from a short palm that grows in the savannah areas of western
Bandundu and
Kasai provinces.
South Asia , c. 1785 In
South Asian countries such as
Bangladesh,
India, and
Sri Lanka,
coconut palms and
Palmyra palms such as the
Arecaceae and
Borassus are preferred. It is mainly produced from the lala palm (
Hyphaene coriacea) by cutting the stem and collecting the sap. In some areas of India, palm wine is
evaporated to produce the unrefined sugar called
jaggery. selling toddy (2014) In parts of India, the unfermented sap is called
neera ( in
Tamil Nadu) and is refrigerated, stored, and distributed by semi-government agencies. A small amount of
lime (calcium hydroxide) is added to the sap to prevent it from fermenting.
Neera, similar to fruit juice products, is relatively rich in potassium. In India, palm wine or toddy is served as either
neera or (a sweet, non-alcoholic beverage derived from fresh sap) or (a sour beverage made from fermented sap, but not as strong as wine). Palm sap contains natural yeasts, which perform the fermentation of glucose to alcohol, as well as
acetobacter, which subsequently converts the alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar). The optimal consumption time is one day after tapping when the vinegar content is minimal; beyond this time, it becomes increasingly sour. Some palm wine drinkers prefer their beverage more sour than usual, but fermenting for too long will result in vinegar rather than wine. Refrigeration extends beverage life, as do a variety of spices, which also contribute to flavor. In India, palm wine is usually available at
toddy shops (known as in
Malayalam, in
Tamil, in
Tulu, in
Telugu, in
Kannada). In
Tamil Nadu, this beverage is currently banned, though the legality fluctuates with politics. In the absence of legal toddy,
moonshine distillers of arrack often sell
methanol-contaminated alcohol, which can have lethal consequences. To discourage this practice, authorities have pushed for inexpensive "
Indian Made Foreign Liquor" (IMFL). In the states of
Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh (India), toddy is a popular drink in rural parts that is frequently consumed at the end of the day after work. There are two main types of toddy () in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, namely () (from
Toddy Palmyra trees) and () (from
silver date palms). is very sweet and less intoxicating, whereas is stronger (sweet in the morning, becoming sour to bitter-sour in the evening) and is highly intoxicating. People enjoy right at the trees where it is brought down. They drink out of leaves by holding them to their mouths while the Goud pours the from the (kallu pot). There are different types of toddy according to the season: , , . . In the Indian state of
Kerala, toddy is used in leavening (as a substitute for yeast) a local form of
hopper called the . Toddy is mixed with rice dough and left overnight to aid in fermentation and expansion of the dough causing the dough to rise overnight, making the bread soft when prepared. In Kerala, toddy is sold under a license issued by the excise department and it is an industry having more than 50,000 employees with a welfare board under the labor department. It is also used in the preparation of a soft variety of
Sanna, which is famous in the parts of
Karnataka and
Goa in India.
Indonesia and Malaysia soldier consuming tuak (1854)
Tuak, which can refer to both palm wine and
rice wine, is imbibed in
Sumatra,
Sulawesi,
Kalimantan, and
Bali of Indonesia and parts of Malaysia such as
Sabah and
Sarawak in
East Malaysia. The beverage is a popular drink among the
Kadazan-Dusun,
Ibans, and
Dayaks during the
Gawai and
Kaamatan festivals, weddings, hosting of guests, and other special occasions. The
Batak people of
North Sumatra also consume palm wine, with palm sap mixed with raru bark to make Tuak. The brew is served at stalls along with snacks. The same word is used for other drinks in
Indonesia, for example, those made using fermented rice.
Myanmar Palm wine, called () in Burmese, made from the fermented sap of the
toddy palm, is traditionally consumed in rural parts of
Upper Myanmar. Toddy palm wine is traditionally produced in the country's
Dry Zone.
Singapore Palm toddy was historically a popular working-class drink, particularly for the Indian community, since it was cheaper than beer. Sales were restricted to drinking on premises at government-run toddy shops, the last of which closed in 1979. Legal sales resumed in 2022 when a first batch was imported from Malaysia. Mexican
tuba is made in the same way as Filipino
tubâ. The traditional sap collectors are known as
tuberos (which also means "
plumber" in both Mexico and the Philippines). It became so popular that in 1619, Captain Sebastian de Piñeda wrote to King
Philip III of Spain complaining about the Filipino "
Indio" settlers in
Nueva España who were causing significant loss of profits to
Iberian alcohol exporters due to
tuba. Mexican
tuba is also commonly sold as
tuba fresca, a non-alcoholic version made from fresh coconut sap. It is traditionally sold by street vendors in large
bottle gourds mixed with
coconut milk, ice, and sugar. It is usually topped with peanuts and diced fruit.
Philippines '', a palm wine from the
Philippines|alt=A tall clear bottle filled with a blue liquid. Palm wines are widely consumed in the
Philippines and are part of the traditional palm vinegar industry. They are gathered mostly from
coconuts,
nipa palms, or
kaong palms. Palm wines fermented for a few days to a few weeks are generally referred to as
tubâ. There are two notable traditional derivations of tubâ with higher alcohol contents. The first is
distilled liquor, generally known as
lambanog (coconut) and
laksoy (
nipa palm). They are milky white to clear in colour. The second is the
bahalina which is typically deep brown-orange due to the use of bark extracts from the mangrove
Ceriops tagal. On the island of
Leyte in the central Philippines, the red
tubâ is aged with the
tanbark for up to six months to two years, until it gets dark red, and tapping its glass container gives off a deep hollow sound. This type of
tubâ is called
bahal (for
tubâ aged this way for up to six months) and
bahalina (for
tubâ aged thus for up to a year or more).
South America Production of palm wine may have contributed to the endangered status of the
Chilean wine palm (
Jubaea chilensis).
Other areas In
Tuvalu, the process of making toddy can be seen with tapped palm trees that line
Funafuti International Airport. In
Kiribati , it is called Karewe and freshly tapped sap from coconut spathe is used as a refreshing drink and the fermented sap is used as an alcoholic beverage. Karewe is boiled to reduce into a thick light brown liquid, called
kamwaimwai, used as a sweetener and spread. ==Consumption by animals==