PALM WINE

 

 

Palm wine has a strong cultural significance among Africans. It is used at important traditional ceremonies like marriages, worship rites and other festivals. Although other types of wine are available, palm wine is irreplaceable for its well known health benefits as well as its cultural significance among Africans, especially the people of West Africa. The term "wine" was originally used for the fermented brews made from grapes. However, it is also used for similar drinks made from other fruits, in which case a distinction is made by using the name of the fruit to qualify the wine. Wine is known to have originated from the Middle East, but it is made and drunk all over the world. Palm Wine is the juice of some varieties of palm trees, including the African oil palm, the Raphia Palm, and the Date Palm.

 However, if we bear in mind that sugar is the material which is fermented to alcohol; it will become clear why there are other various "wines." The juices of these palms contain a lot of sucrose, the table sugar, plus nutrients that are essential for yeast growth. The juices are tapped, usually by climbing the palm trees with loops made from palm fronds. Although some palms are felled and tapped, the quality of wine obtained from them is not considered as good as those from standing trees. Tapping palm trees for the juice is a skilled art. The tapper must know the exact spot to make his incision for the maximum flow of the juice. It must not be too shallow or too deep into the tree. Also, the premium yield of juice is obtained at specific stages of the life of the palm. In the case of the Oil Palm and Raphia Palm, the incision is made at the base of the flower bunch. The incision is fitted with a conical device made from bamboo trees, to direct the flow of the juice into a container attached to the tree.

After about 24 hours, the Palm Wine Tapper goes back to collect the juice into another container. Just like the conventional wine, the palm juice needs to be fermented. But quite unlike the conventional wine, the juice is fermented by wild yeasts from the tree, and those previously present in the container. The amount of alcohol in the wine depends on the stage at which it is drunk. If drunk fresh, it will contain most of its sugar, and so will taste really sweet. Very soon, the fermentation causes very copious bubbling and foaming from the container, and more alcohol is produced. It should be noted that unlike wine made from grapes, the fermentation of palm wine is not controlled. As a result, the alcohol content varies widely. It is also normal practice to dilute the original juice with water, introducing more variability in quality. If the fermentation of the juice is allowed to go further than a few hours, bacteria will start to convert the alcohol in it to a number of acids, such as acetic acid and lactic acid. This transition makes the wine to taste sour after about 24 hours. palm wine helps in enhancing sight.omgghana.com/health-benefits-of-palm-wine