Fresh palm wine tapped from oil palms in Río Muni and on Bioko, drunk within a day of tapping before it sours. It is sweet in the morning and sharp by evening, and it does not travel.
It ferments on the tree before anyone handles it; there is no preparation to write, only a palm and a climb.
What goes into it
- oil palm sap
- nothing else
How it is made
A tapper climbs the palm, cuts into the crown or the flower stem, and hangs a container to collect the sap, returning twice a day. Yeasts living on the tree ferment it in the container, so it is already alcoholic when it reaches the drinker.
How long it takes: hours; sour within a day
How it is eaten
From a bottle or a glass at a roadside stall or a village gathering, the day it is tapped.
History
Palm wine tapped from oil palms in Río Muni and Bioko, drunk within a day of tapping before it sours.
Frequently asked questions
What is Topé?
Topé is a wine & spirit from Equatorial Guinea: fresh palm wine tapped from oil palms. Palm wine tapped from oil palms in Río Muni and Bioko, drunk within a day of tapping before it sours.
How is Topé made?
A tapper climbs the palm, cuts into the crown or the flower stem, and hangs a container to collect the sap, returning twice a day. Yeasts living on the tree ferment it in the container, so it is already alcoholic when it reaches the drinker. It takes hours; sour within a day.
Can I make Topé at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It ferments on the tree before anyone handles it; there is no preparation to write, only a palm and a climb.
What goes into Topé?
Oil palm sap, nothing else.
How is Topé eaten?
From a bottle or a glass at a roadside stall or a village gathering, the day it is tapped.
