Palm wine is a local beverage which is dear to many Nigerians. Some people even believe that it is better than factory brewed drinks due to its many health benefits and those who have gulped several gourds with plates of hot pepper soup or peppered goat meat, can testify to its delightful taste.
However, if you are yet to savour the sap from southeast Nigeria which doubles as the birthplace of the local drink, you need to put ordering several kegs of the sweet liquid on your bucket list.
If you are in doubt about Igbo palm wine, Jovago.com, Africa’s No. 1 hotel booking portal points out several reasons that will bolster or embolden you to drink this beverage.
It is undiluted
You cannot compare the palm wine sold or tapped in Anambra State to the one sold in Lagos or other parts of Nigeria. Many of these palm wine drinks are already fermented, diluted and adulterated, and this has serious side effects. To a large extent, you can trust that palm wine from this Igboland because it is undiluted and from a credible source.
Tapped from the source
The natural taste of palm wine can only be enjoyed if you get it directly from the source. Palm wine is produced by splicing horizontal strips at the top of a palm tree and drilling a hole into the trunk. Afterwards, you attach a container held by raffia so that the palm wine can drop into the container. It has to be collected daily. Very few people are willing to go through the stress of climbing a tree as tall as 20 metres in a city. But visit the rural areas in the South-East, you will find cheap and quality palm wine direct from the trees.
A gourd can intoxicate you
For persons who boast that they are experts in bingeing, a cup of undiluted palmy, as it is popularly called, will definitely overrule this belief. You can consume litres of alcoholic drinks but you should not attempt this with palm wine as a gourd can get you tipsy while several gourds will get you completely drunk. You have to be disciplined to consume such a natural intoxicant.
It is healthy
It is quite risky to drink diluted palm wine because many are unaware of the condiments which have been added to pep up the taste. But for the ones directly tapped from the tree, it is very healthy. Some of the health benefits include control of cardiovascular diseases, slows aging, good eyesight, increased in sperm count and aid milk production in lactating mothers.
Ogunfowoke Adeniyi is a Travel/Technology Writer
