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| palm wine and dodg meat |
However, Enugu people are known to be the best tappers of
palm wine. For Example the Udi people are known for their ‘aneke achime’. This is the name
associated to their palm wine because of its exceptional quality. The Akpugo
and Agbani people of Nkanu Enugu also tap good wine in large quantity. It is at
Akpugo that the people of Enugu usually go to buy plenty of palm wine that they
use in ceremonies. The wine is sold in Oboo market and Orie Mba market, all in
Akpugo. I will not conclude without mentioning the Otu market in Amechi
Awkunanaw. These are well known places where good palm wine can be obtained.
Perhaps, there are
different kinds of palm wine according to the alcoholic level. A knowledgeable
Igbo man can tell the type of palm wine by merely tasting it. There is the
ogwuduani and the nkwuenu.
The ogwuduani is the palm wine tapped from a fallen palm
tree. The palm is allowed to stay for about three to four weeks before the
actual tapping process can proceed. However, after falling the tree you will
cut off the palm frond so it won’t drain off the entire wine flowing along the
palm stem. Probably, I said earlier that after falling the palm tree you allow
it to stay for like three to four weeks. It’s to allow the fluid to ferment. If
it is not allowed to ferment the palm wine it will produce will be sour.
On the other hand, nkwuenu is tapped from a palm that is not
fallen. The palm wine tapper has t o climb the palm tree with a rope and his
container. This type of wine is considered the best because it is sometimes
sweeter in the mouth. It can be given to
a nursing mother to increase the flow of her breast milk. Nevertheless,
elderly people prefer ogwuduani because it is stronger. Or if they must drink
the nkwuenu they will allow it to for some days to ferment.
The palm win is white in colour.
HOW TO ENJOY PALM WINE
Palm wine is best enjoyed with dog meat in the evening
market at in Nkanu. The palm wine seller usually buys a live dog and slaughters
it. He prepares pepper soup with it as that is what the people of Nkanu enjoy
with palm wine. It is said that dog meat is a straight cure to malaria. Read
also: Amazing Facts About Dog Meat
THE EQUIPMENTS USED IN PALM WINE TAPPING
Rope (agbu): the rope is used in climbing the palm tree
Machete: machete is used to cut down unwanted palm fronds
and to trim the palm tree. It can also be used cut foot paths on the stem of
the palm tree.
Knife: sharp knife is used to create a hole in the palm tree
where the palm wine flows out from
Calabash/gallon: calabash or gallon is used to collect the
rushing palm wine.
Bicycle/motorcycle: commercial palm wine tappers normally
use bicycle or motorcycle to convey the collected palm wine to the business
unit
Head lamp: the palm wine tappers carry lamps on their heads
at night to see the way to their palm trees.