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How is toddy made from coconut palm flower stalks?

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Dense grove of acai palm trees (Euterpe oleracea) with slender trunks and abundant green fronds growing on Combu Island in Belem, Para, Brazil. — Palm Wild acai palms (*Euterpe oleracea*) growing on Combu Island in Belem, state of Para in Brazil.

Toddy is produced from the coconut palm by tapping its inflorescence, or flower stalk.12

The process involves wounding or cutting the young flower stalks to collect the sweetish sap that they yield. This sap can be consumed fresh, or it can be fermented to create the alcoholic beverage known as toddy. In addition to being used as a drink, the sap serves as a source of sugar, alcohol, and vinegar.12