Quick answer
Coconut toddy in Sri Lanka is the naturally fermented sap of the coconut flower, a cloudy white palm wine of roughly four to eight per cent alcohol. Known as raa in Sinhala and kallu in Tamil, it is collected by tappers each morning and evening and ferments without any added yeast. Fresh toddy is lightly sweet and fizzy in the morning and sharper by afternoon. It is drunk the same day in licensed toddy taverns, and most of it is distilled into arrack.
Key takeaways
- Coconut toddy is fermented coconut flower sap, called raa in Sinhala and kallu in Tamil.
- Toddy contains roughly four to eight per cent alcohol and grows stronger and more sour as the day goes on.
- Sweet toddy is the unfermented sap, collected in pots treated to stop fermentation, and contains no alcohol.
- Fresh toddy does not keep beyond the day, although pasteurised bottled toddy is now sold in some shops.
- Most coconut toddy tapped on the Kalutara coast is sent to distilleries to make arrack.
What coconut toddy is
Coconut toddy is a palm wine. Tappers cut the unopened flower of the coconut palm and collect the sap that drips from it, and natural yeasts turn the sugars in that sap to alcohol within hours.
Toddy in Sri Lanka is not the hot whisky drink that shares its name in Europe. The English word toddy in fact comes from the Indian subcontinent's word for palm sap, and travelled west with traders and soldiers.
What coconut toddy tastes like
Coconut toddy tastes different at every hour, which is part of its appeal and its difficulty. It is always cloudy and off-white, with a light natural fizz and a yeasty smell that surprises first-time drinkers.
- →Early morning: gently sweet, soft and lightly sparkling, roughly four per cent alcohol.
- →Midday: drier and tangier, with a flavour close to rough cider.
- →Late afternoon: sour, sharp and stronger, up to roughly eight per cent.
- →Next day: on the way to vinegar, and used as such in the kitchen.
Sweet toddy, treacle and vinegar
Sweet toddy is the same coconut sap caught before it ferments. Tappers line the pot with lime or a piece of bark to hold fermentation back, and the result is a clear, sugary, non-alcoholic drink.
Boiled down, sweet toddy becomes coconut treacle and jaggery. Left to ferment fully, toddy becomes coconut vinegar, which is the souring agent in many Sri Lankan pickles and curries. Arrack is only one of four products from the same flower.
Where to try coconut toddy
Trying coconut toddy takes a little planning, because it is sold close to where it is tapped and early in the day. The west coast between Colombo and Bentota is the most practical area for visitors.
- →Licensed toddy taverns: simple, local, mostly male spaces that open from the morning.
- →Tapping demonstrations: the best way to taste sap straight from the pot.
- →Some coastal hotels and restaurants: serve fresh toddy by arrangement in season.
- →Bottled toddy: pasteurised versions appear in some licensed shops and taste milder.
Is coconut toddy safe to drink
Coconut toddy from a licensed tavern or a known tapper is generally safe for a healthy adult, and it has been drunk on the island for many centuries. The cautions are practical ones.
Toddy is a live, unpasteurised drink, so travellers with sensitive stomachs should start with a small glass and drink it in the morning when it is freshest. Avoid toddy of unknown origin, anything offered by a stranger at the roadside, and anything that tastes of spirit.
Fitting a toddy tasting into a trip
A toddy tasting fits most naturally into a transfer day between Colombo and the south coast, since the tapping groves around Kalutara and Wadduwa lie beside the route. An early start is the only requirement.
Lankan Stays & Trails can arrange a morning stop with a tapper, where you can taste both sweet and fermented toddy and then compare them with the finished arrack that evening.
- →Allow roughly 45 minutes to an hour for a tapping stop.
- →Go before roughly 9.00 for the mildest toddy.
- →Avoid poya days, when taverns and bottle shops are closed.
Frequently asked questions
What is toddy in Sri Lanka?
Toddy is the fermented sap of a palm flower, most often the coconut palm. It is a cloudy, lightly fizzy drink of roughly four to eight per cent alcohol, called raa in Sinhala and kallu in Tamil. It is drunk fresh and is also the raw material for arrack.
Is toddy alcoholic?
Yes, fermented toddy is alcoholic, at roughly four to eight per cent depending on how long it has been fermenting. Sweet toddy is the exception: it is the fresh sap, collected in a way that prevents fermentation, and contains no alcohol.
What does toddy taste like?
Fresh toddy tastes mildly sweet, yeasty and a little fizzy, something like a cloudy cider with a hint of coconut blossom. It turns steadily more sour as the day goes on. Many visitors enjoy the morning version and find the afternoon one challenging.
How long does toddy last?
Fresh toddy lasts for a day at most. Fermentation continues in the bottle, so it becomes sour and builds pressure within hours, and by the next day it is turning to vinegar. Pasteurised bottled toddy keeps longer but has a milder, flatter flavour.
What is the difference between toddy and arrack?
Toddy is fermented palm sap, a cloudy drink of beer-like strength that must be drunk fresh. Arrack is the clear spirit produced by distilling toddy, bottled at roughly 33 to 40 per cent alcohol and stable for years. All coconut arrack starts as toddy.
Can tourists drink toddy in Sri Lanka?
Yes. Toddy is legal and sold in licensed taverns, and anyone aged 21 or over may buy it. Taverns are basic and local, so many visitors prefer to taste toddy at an arranged tapping demonstration or through a hotel on the west coast.