Palm Wine

Palm wine is an alcoholic beverage made from the sap of various species of palm trees, such as palmyra, date and coconut palms. It is common in parts of Africa, the Caribbean, South America, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Micronesia. The sap is collected by a tapper, usually from the cut flower of the palm, and begins to ferment at once on natural yeasts. Within two hours it is a sweet, aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol; left up to a day it turns more sour. Wikipedia says palm wine plays an important role in many ceremonies among peoples of Nigeria such as the Igbo and Yoruba, and elsewhere in Central and Western Africa. Guests at weddings, birth celebrations, funerals and festivals are served it. As a token of respect to deceased ancestors, many drinking sessions begin with a small amount spilled on the ground; the article gives the Kikongo ya Leta name for this as kulosa malafu. The article carries a notice that it needs more citations.