Palm wine, a drink taken directly from the palm sap, is an alcoholic drink the local name ie jok. At our place (Aceh) tapped palm sap of the arenga pinnata tree species.
Why did I give the title The Marcopolo Drink? I think the explorer Marco Polo drank palm wine as a substitute for wine during his five-month stay in Samara (namely Lhokseumawe today according to local researchers in Aceh, but William Marsden refers to Samalanga. The distance between Lhokseumawe and Samalanga is 1.3 hours according to driving directions Google Maps).
How to make it?. Here I quote information from the 14th-century explorer Marco Polo. He describes it in detail in The Journey of Marco Polo, p. 369-371. Excerpt from the book published by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Title: The travels of Marco Polo, the Venetian / the translation of Marsden revised, with a selection of his notes.
Edited by Thomas Wright, ESQ. M.A F.S.A. Etc.
Author: Polo, Marco (1254-1324). Auteur du texte
Publisher: London
Publication date: 1854
Wine is not made; but from a species of tree resembling the date-bearing palm they pro cure an excellent beverage in the following manner. They cut off a branch, and put over the place a vessel to receive the juice as it distils from the wound, which is filled in the course of a day and a night. So wholesome are the qualities of this liquor, that it affords relief in dropsical complaints, as well as in those of the lungs and of the spleen. When these shoots that have been cut are perceived not to yield any more juice, they contrive to water the trees, by bringing from the river, in pipes or channels, so much water as is sufficient for the purpose; and upon this being done, the juice runs again as it did at first. Some trees naturally yield it of a reddish, and others of a pale colour. The Indian nuts also grow here, of the size of a man’s head, containing an edible substance that is sweet and pleasant to the taste, and white as milk. The cavity of this pulp is filled with a liquor clear as water, cool, and better flavoured and more delicate than wine or any other kind of drink whatever. (Source: Jump to Book Page 369, 370, 371).
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Philosophie, histoire, sciences de l'homme, 8-O2-9
Identifier: ark:/12148/bpt6k3158313
Date of online availability: 15/02/2017
Rights: Public domain
I would really like to read the manuscript version also published by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Oh, it turns out that my abilities are out of reach when looking at calligraphy text, it's very difficult for me to recognize letter by letter. If you are interested? I share the link. Le livre des voyages de Marco Polo, traduit par Robert Frescher (Publication date: 1475-1525).
A middle-aged man is tapping palm sap with a specially made bamboo pipe in a rural forest in the Lhokseumawe area. He was very friendly when I took the photo, very happy with our arrival, he gave us a taste of fresh palm wine.
The middle-aged man climbed the ladder made of single bamboo. How did he tap the palm wine?. Enjoy the following black and white images.
Thank You!
Irfan M Nur (
Taken with SONY ILCE-6500, E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS Lens.
All images in this post were taken by and remain the Copyright of Irfan M Nur.