What is palm wine?
Palm wine is a product of nature, which drop by drop is extracted from the top of oil palms. The taste varies during the day and according to seasons. The morning tap is a fresh, slightly sparkling drink, with a low percentage of alcohol. During the day it gets more ‘body’, a firm ‘nose’ and a higher percentage of alcohol.
Jola
Lucas is a member of the Jola, an ethnic minority in The Gambia. Next to their traditional religion many Jola have been converted to Christianity. In contrast with Islam, these religions do not prohibit drinking alcohol. Therefore, in The Gambia most palm wine tappers are found among the Jola.
The way of living of the Jola people is in balance with nature. You can observe this in Lucas’s palm winery. On the land that has been in his family for generations, he grows various grains and vegetables in a traditional way. For a hut he uses the materials found on the spot: palm leaves and the wood of palm trees. Even the small funnels needed for getting the palm wine in the bottles are made daily from palm leaves. |
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