White palm wine fermented from tapped sap, cloudy and sour within a day. It is tapped from lontar and coconut palms and drunk the same day; distilling the same sap gives the stronger tua sabu.
It ferments in the container on the tree before anyone handles it; there is no preparation, only a climb and a cut.
What goes into it
- lontar or coconut palm sap
- nothing else
How it is made
The tapper climbs the palm, cuts the flower stalk and hangs a container to catch the sap, returning twice a day. Yeasts already on the tree ferment it in the container as it drips, so it is sweet at dawn and sour and alcoholic by the afternoon.
How long it takes: hours; sour within a day
How it is eaten
From a cup or a bottle the day it is tapped, at gatherings and in the fields.
History
Tapped from lontar and coconut palms and drunk the same day; distilling the same sap further produces the stronger tua sabu.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tua Mutin?
Tua Mutin is a wine & spirit from Timor-Leste: white palm wine fermented from tapped sap, cloudy and sour within a day. Tapped from lontar and coconut palms and drunk the same day; distilling the same sap further produces the stronger tua sabu.
How is Tua Mutin made?
The tapper climbs the palm, cuts the flower stalk and hangs a container to catch the sap, returning twice a day. Yeasts already on the tree ferment it in the container as it drips, so it is sweet at dawn and sour and alcoholic by the afternoon. It takes hours; sour within a day.
Can I make Tua Mutin at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It ferments in the container on the tree before anyone handles it; there is no preparation, only a climb and a cut.
What goes into Tua Mutin?
Lontar or coconut palm sap, nothing else.
How is Tua Mutin eaten?
From a cup or a bottle the day it is tapped, at gatherings and in the fields.
