toddy tales

what could possibly be the malaysian national alcoholic beverage?
you know, a sort of pina colada?
after some deliberation and much tastings, some of us decided that it should be toddy - the pungent fermented sap from the flower of coconut trees with quite an unsavoury reputation but goes well with savoury food.
go figure that one out.
or rather, go find some toddy and try it.
we did, a day after merdeka and an occasion long planned among a few friends.
we made our way from kuala lumpur to shah alam where we followed a good friend to weave our way through the traffic to kapar for the second day of the merdeka makan minum madness.
and that's where we found the toddy shop, which can turn raucous when many have too much to drink.
which is quite easy as it is quite an affordable drink with a gallon costing as much as a can of beer.
we had two gallons and a whole lot of seafood from the neighbouring seafood restaurant that sort of exemplified the muhibbah malaysia - chinese food and indian drink that in a less fermented form was a malay drink called nira.
and of course, there were several servings of curried wild boar to provide the savoury for the unsavoury. apart from wild boar, the ala carte dishes that go with toddy include the wide variety of game such as monitor lizards and civet cats.
none of that was available that day!
now that is so very malaysian. and so very us in the table of seven.
back to the toddy. it was sweet but reeked with the pungency of roasted onion and garlic - like some sort of sour cream and onion chips.
but it was great and reeked - or stank - even more as it warmed and continued fermenting.
we delayed the fermentation process by chilling with ice bags in the pail.
and one of us gave up due to the smell and taste.
in true fashion, the experienced hands at the table ordered a bottle of guinness stout as a mixer for the toddy, the conventional wisdom being that both were pungent with the bitter stout cancelling the acidic toddy.
it worked.
the rains washed in and we washed away the food and toddy with a round of beers, freeing our minds and souls in a celebration of independence that marked malaysia's merdeka.
toddy, anyone? and as national drink of malaysia?
it get's my vote!