Date palm wine

Palm wine is important in many cultures, and is an integral part of ceremonies in Central and Western Africa. At of Iron Age date wine became the principal alcoholic beverage of Mesopotamia (but still called beer) replacing the millennia-old barley beer.

Date palm is highly nutritious and highly sweet too. It's a popular ingredient for making wine. The date wine is alcohol in mild form.

The sap from these trees is collected by a tapper. The tappers scale barefoot up palm trees, and then cut a palm frond at the top of the tree.

A container is fastened to the flower stump to collect the sap. Palm sap begins fermenting immediately after collection, due to natural yeasts in the air. Within two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, mildly intoxicating and sweet. If fermented for too long, acetic acid and other off-flavors may develop.

This fermentation was known as palm wine, and it was used as a ritual inebriant drink but was especially esteemed for its aphrodisiac qualities.
Date palm wine