The Nutritive Value of Coconut Toddy

Abstract

The partly fermented sap of the coconut palm (COCOS nucifera), called toddy in Malaya, is a popular drink among certain sections of the population in south-east Asia and among the natives of the central Pacific Islands. The methods of obtaining toddy from various species of palm have been described in detail by Gibbs (191 I ) and by Browning & Symons (1916), so that only a brief account need be given here. The young inflorescence is tightly bound with twigs and beaten with a weighted wooden mallet, morning and evening, for a number of days. When the inflorescence begins to ooze its sap, the tip is cut and the sap allowed to trickle into an earthenware pot. Owing to the yeasts and other organisms already present in the used pots, alcoholic and other fermentations begin immediately. Each morning and evening a ‘tapper’ climbs the tree to collect the toddy, and at each visit he shaves off a fine transverse section of the inflorescence so as to leave a new oozing surface. The fermented toddy, which is milky in appearance, is brought to the Government toddy-shops for sale within a few hours of collection. It is estimated that in the two large towns of Malaya, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, the quantities sold daily are approximately 400 and 800 gal., respectively; owing to the great demand, each person is allowed to purchase only I pt. at a time. There is a widespread belief that coconut toddy is a rich source of the B-complex vitamins on account of the yeast present, although there appears to be no experimental evidence in support of this view. On the other hand, the vitamin B, content of coconut toddy was reported as c 5 i.u.iIoo g (Anonymous, 1941). Browning & Symons (1916) isolated from fermented coconut toddy several strains of Sacchuromyces cerevisiae, together with other forms that resembled S. ellipsoideus, Schizosaccharomyces mellacei, Zygosaccharomyces barker; and Saccharomycodes ludwigii. No species of Mycoderma or Torula or film-forming yeast was found. Availability studies have indicated that thiamine in live yeast is poorly utilized by human subjects (Parsons, Williamson & Johnson, 1945 ; Hochberg, Melnick & Oser, 1945; Kingsley & Parsons, 1947). There is also evidence that the physiological availability of riboflavin in live yeast is low (Price, Marquette & Parsons, 1947). Since coconut toddy as normally consumed contains yeast cells that are mostly alive (the period of fermentation varying between 12 and 24 h), it follows that its nutritive value as a source of thiamine and riboflavin will reside mainly in the fluid (i.e. the yeast-free) portion. A study was therefore carried out to determine the distribution of these two vitamins between the yeast cells and the fluid portion of toddy. The investigation was also extended to include the distribution of nicotinic acid, calcium and iron between the two fractions. In addition, whole toddy was also analysed for its major food components and for acidity and alcohol content.