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Akkani in demand during summer

Thiruvananthapuram: ‘Akkani,’ the processed sap of the Palmyra tree, is much in demand in the city during summer. Scores of vendors from Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu arrive in the city on week days to sell the sweet sap.

They set out at dawn from their homes and arrive at Vizhinjam in vans and lorries. Each vendor carts a few bunches of palmyrah nuts, ‘nongu,’ along with 10 litres of ‘akkani’ in an aluminium pot. The beverage is served in boat-shaped vessels fashioned out of freshly plucked green palmyra leaves. The white succulent kernel of the ‘nongu’ is scooped into the vessel and a small measure of ‘Akkani’ is poured on top of the kernel. The customer is charged Rs.12 for a helping.

The vendors usually set-up shop under the shade of the trees lining the Chakkai-Injackal National Highway by-pass. Business picks up by 9 a.m. Families and foreign tourists enroute to Kovalam make up the largest chunk of their customers. Regular clients also include truck drivers and labourers. By 3.30 p.m., the vendors wind up their business and make it back to Vizhinjam for their trip home.

Many like ‘akkani’ for its sweet taste. Some do not relish the taste of lime added to ‘akkani’ to prevent fermentation. The raw sap of the Palmyra tree is heated and filtered to make the beverage.

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