By Tokwan Nasir

For old time sake… Tok Wan visiting a tropical mangrove, Nipah

Tok Awang Kalur. That’s my grandfather who passed away in 1982. I must apologise for not keeping his photo.

The visuals of our Nira Nipah days have stayed with me.

Standard One that came up in 1968 was not preceded by pre-school; so, I most cherish my time with Tok Awang Kalur.

His house at Kampung Bokbok, Mukim Tajar, Kota Setar borders a cluster of the famed tropical mangrove, Nipah.

Nipah’s Nira (sap) is now sold by the roadside in Kedah and Perlis. Not so back in the day.

Nasir, the curious boy, and Tok Awang Kalur would slice the Nipah fruits for the sap.

Tok Awang Kalur must have been acutely aware of the snakes and those scary lizards amidst the setting. I knew of those potent threat, and was swatting away the mosquitoes.

Tok Awang Kalur was never going to be distracted. Fearless. The “Kalur” title was a testament of his part-time career as a celebrated flute player. And, he was a snake catcher!

My advice to domestic tourists with a sense of adventure wishing to wade in the muddy setting to get to Nipah area? It is eco-friendly, yes, but the habitat may not relish the idea of meeting strangers.

Now onto the sap- manual which is never an instant dash.

The manual will have to be narrated in the past tense as we are recounting the adventures of Tok Awang Kalur and his grandson some 55 years ago.

Step One was about collecting sap in a bamboo tube, known as “Tukei” in Kedah-speak. This required cutting up the fruits to trigger the sap flow.

Step Two; was to cover the Tukei with Nipah palm leaves to keep away flies, wasps and other insects.

Step Three; was about washing up the Tukei. It would soon be covered in smoke producing a nice aroma. Pretty intoxicating.

This could never be completed instantly. Step Three would see us returning the following morning to collect the sap in a bucket. My task – cleansing the Tukei afterwards.

Nira Nipah can be taken raw and is pretty sweet and tasty. Rumour has it that juice could even clear up gallstones in the bladder. Nira can also be fermented for some time to produce vinegar. Heating up the sap to churn thickened sweet to go with the famed Lopeh cakes, was another big option.

Next, the sap production manual. A bunch of ripe fruits must be soaked for a number of days. I didn’t learn this in great detail. Hence the story telling will have to be halted.

Now in 2023, the Nipah grove is surely still as the preferred breeding ground for the fighting fish, Ikan Karin.

The Nipah groves at the back of my grandfather’s house are gone. Following his death, the Nipah palms were destroyed and replaced with padi.

The awesome taste of Nira Nipah