Ethyl alcohol content of tua-sabu (brandy) from Timor-Leste: derived from the sap of the tua-tali palm (Corypha utan Lam.)

The tua-tali palm (Corypha utan Lam.) is a species of plant that produces sap, where the sap collected is used as raw material for producing sugar, vinegar, and tua-sabu, among others. The study aimed to determine the ethyl alcohol content of tua-sabu, the traditional brandy of Timorese. The samples were collected in different municipalities in Timor-Leste, including direct collection at the production site, as well as availability in small grocery stores and fairs, with a total of 39 samples, comprising seventeen samples in total for each fraction of tua-ulun and tua-klaran, and five samples of the tua-ikun fraction. Liquid Chromatography with a UV detector was used to analyze the samples, the result showed that the tua-ulun fractions collected directly at the production site in each municipality had higher concentrations of ethyl alcohol between 38.1 and 53.6% v/v. In contrast, fractions collected at the small grocery stores and fairs had concentrations of ethyl alcohol of 36.1 to 50.3% v/v and 30.0 to 41.5% v/v, respectively. Furthermore, most of the tua-ulun and tua-klaran fractions have different and similar concentrations to each other; even some of the tua-klaran fractions sold in small grocery stores and fairs have higher concentrations than some tua-ulun fractions and/or less than the tua-ikun fractions. It is worth noting that significant variations and similarities in alcohol content are mainly attributed to factors in the production chain, packaging materials and their hygienic conditions, storage mechanisms, and processes throughout the supply chain that lead to product availability at the fair.