Kampung Moonshine called Toddy

Toddy or ‘Tuak’ as it is popularly known in estate parlance thru out Malaysia is the fermented sap of the coconut palm. The alcoholic content of toddy can range any where from five to fourteen percent. How it is set is a bit of a mystery to even the toddy shop proprietor. Usually a reliable way to gauge the alcohol content is to engage the proprietor of the toddy establishment in a short conversation. The rule of thumb is if he’s talking sensibly in a soft convivial tone, its around 4%……However if the proprietor and his assistants are renacting some Bollywood fight scene on top of table. Then the alcohol content is definitely double digit.

Toddy is called Neera by women folk and its used as a leavening agent when making apam, thosai and at times its even mixed with ghee to give rice a fluffy texture.

The best time to harvest toddy sap is at dawn when it flows clear and sweet.

In the estates Toddy is widely known as quack cure, it claims to cure everything from heat stroke to restoring the good bacteria quotient in ones stomach.

Sadly the old and traditional way of harvesting and distilling toddy is becoming extinct.

My good friend Viji took me there…..he’s a fellow planter, its great to have good friends. After that we had a five chili spicy hot mee goreng.

(I will post some pics when I can get a faster and more reliable connection)