Siva's Regal - Toddy:The Malaysian Coconut Wine

Pic: A tapper collecting the sap from a coconut tree.

Toddy, or sometimes spelt Todi, is a type of coconut wine. Toddy is an alcoholic beverage made form the sap of the coconut tree. My Indian friend called Siva says that toddy should be branded and called Siva's Regal (not to be confused with the whiskey Chivas Regal) - "taste the same, high the same...but its not the same".

Although in Malaysia toddy is known to be a popular drink amongst working class Indians, not many know that this is a popular drink in different parts of the world - it is just called by different names. In Africa it is known as "legmi", in south India it is called "kallu". In Sri Langka, Myanmar, Philipines and Sabah, it is referred to as "bahar" or "goribon". In western Maxico, people call it "tuba".

Toddy is made from the sap collected from the cut flower shoot of the coconut tree by a tapper who fastens a container to the flower shoots to collect the sap. Up to 7 gallons (27 liters) of sap a day can be collected from each tree.

The sap that is initially collected is very sweet and non-alcoholic - the sap has to be left to ferment for a few hours to become toddy. The coconut sap has a short shelf life as fermentation starts within a few of hours of collection. If left too long, it proceeds to quickly becomes vinegar – unless it is distilled to form a stronger alcoholic drink.

In Kuala Lumpur, you can get toddy in Brickfields and Sentul. Klang is also a popular place to get toddy - it is sold even at some Chinese seafood restaurants. Toddy goes well with seafood. Try it, then you'll know.

This is an interesting article with pictures about toddy in the Philippines.

What do you think, guys ? Has anyone tried toddy ? Tell us where can you buy toddy in KL or PJ. Please post your comments.