Sugar palm can be tapped on a daily basis. Collecting the fresh sap has been traditionally done by local farmers climbing high up to the trees using bamboo ladders that are attached to the trunks of the trees. It is a difficult and labor-intensive work.
The sap is known as \"nira\" when it is fresh, or \"toddy\" after fermentation. The traditional practices of adding bark to the sap helps to preseve the sap. Fresh sap is lightly clouded with mild sweet taste, a delicious drink by itself. The sap can be used to make sugar, ferment into vinegar, make alcohol like rum, or produce ethanol for fuel. The sap ferments immediately and it is essential to preserve the sap freshness in order to make good quality palm sugar. After two days upon collection, the alcohol content of the sap can reach up to 8%.
