Filming the toddy tapper

 Today Sebastian will film a toddy tapper, a round concrete tank maker and a basket maker. We learn that the toddy tapper who had agreed to be filmed is sick today and unable to climb. Fortunately, Ko Kyaw Myint Sein, to whom we gave glasses last evening and who gave me a lift on his motorbike, will show us how he taps toddy today.

There are hundreds of the more than 30-foot tall toddy palms in Nyaung Pin Zauk. As the owners have to climb each tree twice a day to slice into a bud at the top of the tree, bring down the pots filled with sweet juice and replace them with new empty pots having good vision is vitally important.

I notice that the top few feet of the tree has a permanent ladder attached. We watch as Ko Kyaw Myint Sein carries and then props another much longer ladder against the trunk of the tree. Then he climbs barefoot up the ladder on the trunk. Hanging from his belt on ropes are empty pots blackened by the fire. In his belt at the back is tucked a large knife with which he will cut a hole to let the sweet liquid flow. He hangs one pot below each cut, and then comes down the tree with the two pots that have caught the liquid in the night. Toddy tappers climb each tree twice a day.  

Menwhile, Ko Kyaw Myint Sein’s wife and daughter alternate between carrying the pots to the base of each tree, then rushing back to make sure the fire is drawing well for another part of the process. This entails boiling until the liquid has evaporated and thick, creamy brown jaggery remains.  

Ko Kyaw Myint Sein received glasses yesterday. However, I was very happy to see him up the tree without them today, because of course it takes time to get used to wearing glasses and I would never forgive myself if he fell because his eyes were not adjusted to the glasses. He will get used to them around the village before he starts climbing in them.

Back at the house, Daw Mahan Thein pours the liquid into steel woks: four of them, and stirs and stirs for 20 minutes. During this time, someone else is feeding the fire, others are going back to each tree to collect more full pots: everyone has several jobs.

Other villagers arrive, whether to help or watch us is unclear.  Daw Mahan Thein takes the wok from the fire but continues to stir and stir. The brown sticky juice continues to evaporate then at last she lifts out a large brown sticky sweet ball. Quickly, before the material dries, the women dip their hands in cool water, break off small chunks of the ball and roll them into round lumps. They continue for another 20 minutes breaking off teaspoon-sized soft lumps, roll them on the tray until they are the round little ball we so much enjoy at the end of a Myanmar meal.