Tuba is the coconut sap, harvested high in the palm. The tubero, as the person who extracts it is called, climbs the tree, cuts the flower cluster before it becomes a coconut and fastens a container there to collect the liquid. Fresh tuba is clear, sweet and slightly acidic, and it becomes more acidic as hours pass because it begins to ferment.
The tradition is linked to the Filipinos who reached the Mexican Pacific coast in the time of the Manila Galleon. They cultivated the coconut in the region and made a fermented wine from the sap. That wine stopped being produced, but the fresh drink survived and became a symbol of Colima, where it also appears in breads and in tuba vinegar used in sauces and dishes.
In the streets and squares of Colima, vendors carry tuba in traditional containers and serve it very cold, in a glass with peanuts and pieces of fruit, like apple, on top. The drink is also sold on the Pacific coasts of Guerrero, Michoacán and Jalisco, but in Colima it gained the status of the state’s street drink, alongside tejuino and bate.
Fresh tuba is consumed for its refreshment, during hot hours, like a juice. Left to ferment, it develops alcohol content.