Indonesia is known as one of the countries with the best and most coconut products in the world. As a plant, coconut has a variety of uses. Starting from the fresh water for drinks and medicine, to the flesh which can be used as a coconut milk ingredient, as well as the hard skin as charcoal. Apart from that, the leaves and stems of coconut trees are also often used by Indonesians in their daily lives. One of the typical uses of coconut in Indonesia is the manufacture of alcoholic drinks derived from fermented coconut water, which is generally referred to as palm wine. The mention of palm wine varies in various regions in Indonesia, including in Papua and be mentioned as swansrai.
Swansrai is a drink resulting from fermented coconut water from Papua which has an alcohol content of up to 30%. The origin of the name swansrai is a combination of two words, swan meaning water or drink, and srai meaning coconut. These two words come from the Biak language in Papua. The alcohol content is quite higher than the average contained in alcoholic drinks in Indonesia, namely approximately 20%, making Swansrai attractive to curious tourists. Several tourists who have tasted swansrai said that there is a strong taste that tends to be bitter when drinking this fermented drink. After one sip, a feeling of warmth will spread throughout the body. It is not uncommon for tourists to become curious because swansrai is only found in Papua. Although similar drinks can also be found in various regions in Indonesia under another name, namely palm wine, swansrai has its own place.
The processing of swansrai begins by taking coconut water from old trees before the fermentation process is carried out. One of the unique things about swansrai is the way it is served. People in Papua do not serve swansrai using glass containers, but instead use coconut shells or coconut shells that have been split into two or have a hole cut in the top.
People in Papua consider swansrai to be a special drink. The reason is that initially this drink was only served to close relatives who were taking the time to visit, stay in touch and spend time together. So that a warmth is created that does not only come from this drink but also the warmth of the togetherness that exists. However, swansrai can now be enjoyed by anyone who visits Papua, but it still has a taste that is no less special.
