Borassus (Palmyra palm) is a genus of 5 species of fan palms, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and New Guinea. This palms can grow up to 30m (98ft) high and have robust trunks with distinct leaf scars. The leaves are fan shaped in nature. The leaf sheath has a distinct cleft at its base through which the infloresence appear. The fruits are 15 to 25 cm wide , roughly spherical and each contain 1 to 3 large seeds. Palmyra palm are economically useful and widely cultivated. They are one of the most important trees in India. In ancient India the leaves of palmyra palm is used as writing papers. The entire tree has manu uses. A sugary sap called toddy can be obtained from the young inflorescence and this is fermented to make a beverage known as arrack. The tree sap is taken and used as a laxative (subtance which is usef to increase bowel movement). Palakkad district of Kerala is known as land of palmyra trees. It has a vast cultural, heritage and literacy association. In the famous malayalam novel Khasakkinte itihasam, written by O V Vijayan, the palmyra palm is described in various angles. Many people in palakkad live on earning by tapping palmyra toddy. (Tapping of palmyra) Palm wine is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various palm trees. The sap is extracted and collected by a tapper. Usually the sap is collected from the cut flower of the palm tree. A container is fastened to the flower stump to collect the sap. A white coloured milky liquid that collected into the containers is very sweet and non alcoholic. During the tapping on palm trees, a fire is sometimes lit at the cut end to initiate the collection of sap. For making toddy , the collected liquid (sap) is undergo fermentation process. The container that is used to collect the sap contains the presence of yeasts. It will leads to fermentation. After 2 hours of fermentation, we will get an alcoholic content that is called toddy. In Kerala, toddy is used in leavening the dough that is used to make some dishes such as vellayappam.