The coconut tree is the source of two famous forms of fermented drink: toddy and arrack.
The coconut tree is a mainstay of Sri Lankan Thamil culture, and every bit of the tree is used in some way. The sap produced by the flower of the coconut tree is tapped to produce various products, some of the most well known being the drinks called toddy and arrack.
Toddy, also known as கள்ளு (kallu), is a mildly alcoholic drink made by extracting the sap from certain trees, the most common in south Asia being the coconut palm or the palmyra palm, which is why it is also known as palm wine. The process of fermenting sap might have begun as far back as the seventeenth millennium BCE in western Africa. The name “toddy” is believed to be a version of the Hindi word for palm sap, tari. The earliest records of toddy in Sri Lanka seem to date back to the fifth century CE, but it is presumed to have been around since at least the first century CE. There are paintings and oral history that suggest the kings of Sri Lanka indulged in the drink, and there are even legends that war elephants were fed toddy prior to battle.
Procuring the sap can be a risky process because it involves accessing the coconut flower, which may be fifty feet off the ground. The toddy tapper will ascend the coconut tree and bind the spadix, a spike-type inflorescence, or cluster of flowers on a stem, and beat it gently with a mallet over the course of several days. Next, the end of the spadix is cut and a pot is hung from the end to collect sap, which must be maintained and collected multiple times a day, as fermentation begins almost immediately. Because fermentation occurs immediately, without preservation, it must be filtered and served on the same day, otherwise the sap will become vinegar. The toddy can be drunk plain, but sometimes spiced with onion or chili.
Arrack, or சாராயம், is actually made by distilling toddy. The word “arrack” is actually a general Hindi term for any distilled liquor. While the actual origins of arrack is unknown, it is believed to have been developed as distillation processes spread. While there are two main types of arrack, the Sri Lankan coconut arrack and the Batavia (Indonesian) molasses arrack, the Sri Lankan arrack is deemed to have a richer taste. Sri Lanka is the largest producer of coconut arrack in the world.
The preparation of the tree for coconut sap collection is the same as for toddy. Within hours after the sap has been taken from the coconut tree, it will ferment to about five to seven percent alcohol. At that point, it is ready for the initial distillation, which brings the alcohol content up to about twenty to forty percent. After completion of distillation, the alcohol content will be as high as sixty to ninety percent. It is then diluted with water to an alcohol content of thirty-three to fifty percent alcohol by volume.
While both drinks are quite well-known among South and Southeast Asian populations, it is only now that they are beginning to gain popularity in the western world.