THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON, 963 



Palmyi'a molasses, mixed with roasted powder of pepper, sesamtim 

 seeds, rice, and cummin ; preserved in an earthen pot, the mouth 

 of the pot is well luted, and then these sweet cakes are used by the 

 country people in their feasts. Hear me again : the pulp that is 

 expressed out of the Palmyra fruits that fall scantily in the latter 

 part of the fruit season, is spread over the mat for two days and 

 left to dry very well ; the dried pulp is then peeled off into sheets. 

 An offering of cakes made of the flower of the edible Palmyra 

 roots and of dried Palmyra pulp, together with other fruits, is 

 made in Palmyra plantations to Ganesa. The dried Palmja'a- 

 pulp that was preserved is protected without contracting grubs 

 that may spoil it, if the owners are devoted to Ganesa during the 

 time. The dried Palmyra-pulp that it thus preserved may better 

 serve the people as food during the rainy season. Griping of the 

 bowels, diarrhoea and lodging of small fish bones in the oesophagus 

 may be removed by eating dried Palmyra pulp. The stones of the 

 Palmyra fruits that are eaten, and of those that are expressed, are 

 divided into four sorts, put in the ground into beds of 4, 5, 6 or 8 

 layers, covered with earth, watered twice during the months of 

 August and September and the edible Palmj^ra root? are dug out 

 in the months of January and Februarj^. When there is no rain 

 the skin of the root is peeled off, its head is pared away, the root is 

 cloven into halves, its foot is nipped out, left to drj^ in the sun, the 

 foot is nipped off in the second and third also, the halves are 

 carefully stirred up to dr}^ well, and then collected and preserved. 

 Such dried edible Palmyra roots are powdered and sifted, salt-water 

 is sprinkled upon the flour, fish, herbs, and other fruits are added 

 to it and mixed together, the paste is then put into a conical Ola- 

 basket and steamed; the poor people eat much of it and get 

 strength. 



If the flour of the dried edible Palmyra-root (Odial) be 

 mixed with Cocoanut milk, salt-water and fish, and if the paste 

 be steamed, the cake when eaten will daily add strength to 

 any body. The middle pieces of the Odial are cleared of their 

 outer fibrous skin, soaked in water, then dried and powdered ; 

 if the flour be mixed with the cocoanut milk, salt-water, fish 

 and herbs, and if the paste be steamed and then ghee be added 



