04/05/2016
Having had the good fortune in my childhood, of drinking copious quantities of the sweetest nectar ever, I always felt the loss when it ceased to be easily available both in the country side where we used to freely obtain it, as well as in cities where it was completely unavailable.
Sur or Toddy as we knew it, is the sap obtained from a variety of palms, including the coconut. Our source those days, was the sago toddy palm (caryota urens) because the land and climate where I was, was unsuitable for coconut trees to thrive. To be drunk within hours of its extraction since it ferments very quickly into a mildly alcoholic and not very pleasant state, we used to be lucky to have it brought straight to us in the early hours of the morning itself.
Later the remaining naturally fermented drink had its uses as a leavening agent in rice based batters in the making of Sannas and Appams and of course those who wanted that 'kick', did consume it directly.
I have yearned for it for years ever since and when I used to read or hear about it being available in other towns or cities as 'Neera', I would sigh - So neer'a and yet so far.
But today God bestowed my open Palms with the nectar of God's own Palm ... the Neera from Kerala's coconut trees. And I was super thrilled to see that Karpagam Neera was going to be retailed in Bangalore in a pasteurized form (to enhance shelf life).
Neatly and hygenically packaged with all Food and Govt related approvals in place, I received a couple of bottles as samples from Mr Jitender who is marketing the Karpagam brand.
Advised to have it chilled, the sweet, palmy flavor took me back to my childhood and needless to say, transported me to a land of bliss. Tasting slightly different from the pale milky sap, with its smoother mouth feel that I was used to, this Neera that is a tad sharper on the tongue and clearer in appearance due to the pasteurization, but nevertheless is a close contender to my old friend the Sur.
Also available is the Neera Vinegar which (putting it loosely) is its fermented version and definitely healthier than synthetic options for the purposes of cooking.
Neera honey is the third product from Neera and though it is marketed as honey, it has more of a liquid palm jaggery flavor to it ... which I love, so I will not be quibbling too much over the name :-D
Research conducted by eminent institutes like IISc and others, also inform us of its health benefits with its low Glycemic Index, beneficial to the liver and blood pressure and an abundance of inherent minerals.
I am told that Neera will be available locally, priced at Rs 40 per 200 ml. And while that might seem priced far above most other available beverages of similar volume, one would forgive the difference if one has even the faintest idea as to the labor that goes into its extraction and eventual availibilty.
Besides, as they inform us, the health benefits are supposed to far outweigh those of many other drinks that are currently available.
Having been a fan of it all my life, they have certainly found a loyal customer in me.
And my itchy brain is already plotting recipes out of it, not the least of which would be a nice cool refreshing cocktail ... as tall as the coconut trees from which it seeps.
Well they did say it was good for the liver ... And what better way of nullifying the alcohol, really ? :-D
