Strange: Climbing a ladder up a tree to "pick wine"

Forest trees flow wine

January – the lean season is approaching, the Bana ethnic people in Dak Pling commune (Kong Chro district, Gia Lai) go into the forest to collect wine from the Doak tree. This is especially the time when the wine is ripe, because the Doak tree begins to bloom and bear fruit, which will produce a more abundant and aromatic wine.

According to village elder Dinh El (To Bung village, Dak Pling commune): “For a long time, no one knows when the Doak tree was used to make wine, but we only know that our ancestors from generation to generation have always known how to go into the forest to find Doak trees to make wine. All the young men in the village know how to make wine from Doak trees. Normally, the water taken from Doak trees is used on the spot instead of soft drinks, helping to relax and stay healthy. If Doak tree water is soaked with wild yeast bark, the water will become wine for daily drinking, or used during holidays and Tet.”

Specialty wine in Kong Chro district is made directly from the Doak tree.

To get Doak wine, young men in the village must carry knives and water jugs deep into the forest several kilometers and it takes at least half a day to bring back the wine.

Currently, around the village, there are still many Doak trees protected by the people to get wine to drink, but in terms of quality and yield, they are not as good as those growing naturally in the forest. Accordingly, if the Doak tree is discovered by someone who comes first and marks it as “private property”, there will be no fighting over the wine tree.

The Doak tree looks very similar to the Dung Dinh tree but is many times larger, mature trees can be over 20m tall. From the base of the tree to the top, there are many leaf sheaths extending around. When in bloom, the Doak tree blooms into clusters like areca clusters, some of which are even larger, over 2m long.

Getting Doak wine also requires a lot of effort: First, use le trees to make a long ladder to climb to the top, then use rattan to tie the le trees with leaf sheaths to create a sturdy position like a tree house to conveniently hang the jar to get water safely.

The best place to get the wine is at the stem of the fruit cluster, cut off the fruit cluster and insert a bamboo spout to lead the water straight into the can. This method will get more wine, the water quality is also the best. On the other hand, this will limit the tree from being infected with bacteria that cause disease instead of drilling straight into the trunk to get the water.

"Fairy wine" is fragrant and does not cause headaches.

Mr. Dinh Leu (To Bung village) is one of the most experienced people in the profession of hunting for "Yang's wine trees". This year he is 39 years old but has more than 24 years of experience in the forest to collect Doak wine. He said: "When I was young, I often followed my father to the fields and the forest, so I learned how to collect wine from there. Doak wine can be collected all year round, but it is best to collect it during the Doak fruit season from March to July. The tree to choose for wine must be one that has bloomed.

If the tree is still small, the wine will not be good, and the tree will not grow big. Each large tree can produce 30 liters per day. Climbing high to get wine also requires great care, if you accidentally fall, it is very dangerous. Usually, wine is mainly collected for family use, if there is a lot, it is sold. Drinking doak wine is even more enjoyable than drinking beer.

Getting the wine is also very elaborate.

Sitting together drinking Doak wine, village elder Dinh El happily said: “Doak wine has a strong aroma, not as strong as rice wine, so it is delicious to drink without food, when there are distinguished guests or during village festivals when pigs and chickens are prepared. This wine does not give you a headache, so both men and women can drink it. When first taken from the tree, the water is clear, and when drunk, it tastes sweet and cool like coconut water. After adding leaf yeast (a type of plant that helps naturally ferment, taken from forest trees, only the Bana people know - PV), the water turns cloudy white like rice water, has a strong, spicy taste of wine, and is sweet and fragrant. Normally, Doak wine is only used for about 2-3 days after taking the wine, if left for too long, the wine will lose its flavor and will not be as good to drink. If kept in the refrigerator, it can be used for a week.”

Try sipping a glass of Doak wine, when you bring it to your nose, it has a light aroma, when you drink it, it has a spicy, sweet taste quite similar to fermented fruit wine, so... it is very delicious. That shows that the Bana people are favored by Mother Nature, given "fairy wine" that does not need to be cooked to become wine. In daily life, especially on holidays and important events of the village, Doak wine is an indispensable drink for the people here. That is why the Doak tree is very carefully protected by the people as the "treasure" of the village.

Doak wine is used in daily life, holidays or to entertain guests from afar.

Talking about Doak wine, Mr. Dinh Van Cu - Deputy Secretary of the Dak Pling Commune Party Committee shared: “Doak wine has existed since ancient times, the wine is taken completely naturally, without industrial yeast, so drinking it does not give you a headache like drinking beer or wine. When I was 16 years old, I followed my father to the forest, and by the age of 20, I had mastered making wine. Usually, people go to the fields in the morning, go to the forest to collect Doak water, and in the afternoon, they bring it back to the village to drink with their family in the evening. In particular, this wine helps tired people feel refreshed when drinking it. Currently, Krong Chro district has only 3 communes including Sro, Dak Co Ning and Dak Pling that have Doak wine trees. This is also a local specialty often used to entertain guests from afar.”