392 



[November, 1912. 



TAPPING TODDY PALMS. 



The three palms that are tapped for toddy in Ceylon are (1) the Coco- 

 nut (Cocos nucijera), (2) Kitul (Caryota urens), and (3) Palmyrah (Borassus 

 fiabillifer). 



The following is a description of the process of tapping for the pro- 

 duction of toddy, which is nothing more or less than the juice of the 

 tender flower (or inflorescence) of the above mentioned palms : — Before 

 the flower opens, and while it is still encased in its sheatb, it is prepared 

 for tapping by the toddy drawer who bruises it with gentle taps of a 

 small mallet or piece of bone, repeating the operation till the juice is 

 reiidy to flow. He then cuts off the end of the flower and ties a pot to 

 receive the juice as it exudes drop by drop. The operation is repeated 

 daily, generally in the morning and evening; a thin slice being cutoff 

 the end of the spathe on each occasion to excite and allow of the flow of 

 sap. This sap when it first falls into the pot is entirely tree from ierment- 

 atiou and highly charged with sugar, the saccharometer generally 

 reading about 1,060. Unless special precautions are taken to prevent it, 

 vinous fermentation soon sets in and continues till all the sugar is con- 

 verted into alcohol. The method adopted to prevent fermentation is to 

 coat the pot internally with fresh lime. If the toddy is left long enough 

 acetic fermentation will follow with the production of vinegar. Ferment- 

 ation may be hastened by the introduction of ferments or by the addition 

 of fermented toddy. It may be delayed by putting into the clear pot 

 before it is hung up the bark of the Hal (Vateria acruniaia) or Ankenda 

 tree {Achr 'onychia laurifolia). Fresh fermented toddy is known as "sweet 

 toddy" and fermented toddy is called "sour toddy:" but the latter 

 term applies to liquor which varies much in alcoholic contents and may 

 contain as much as 10 per cent, alcohol, 



Sweet toddy is boiled down for preparing treacle (locally called 

 honey), and jaggery or palm sugar, while fermented toddy is chiefly used 

 for the distillation of arrack. 



The method of distillation as generally followed is of the primitive 

 pot-still type and depends on rule of thumb, no testing instruments 

 being employed- 



Our illustrations show : — 



(1) Kitul Palm. 



(2) Toddy-drawer climbing Coconut tree. 



(3) Arrack distillery, 



