As discussed in the previous post, Fermented cane juice in Seychelles- Baka dan Sesel, sugar cane was introduced to the Seychelles islands as early as 1773 and the settlers started to drink baka, which is the naturally fermented juice of the sugar cane, as early as 1787. This was confirmed by Mr Louis Jean Baptiste Philogène de Malavois who wrote in 1787 that ‘les habitants y sont dans l’usage de boire du vin de canne à sucre’. Initially the plantation of the sugar cane was slow and large scale cultivation started in the late 1800’s. This was primarily to supplement the supply of sugar from infrequent visits from ships. Only as the delivery of sugar to the islands became more frequent, did the use of sugar cane change to making fermented cane juice known as Baka.
It did not take very long for the authorities to start getting concerned by the level of drunkenness caused by the consumption of baka which was a beverage close to the heart of the poorer classes. They consequently started to place legal restrictions on its production and consumption.
The first regulation
In 1852, Robert William Keate, the Chief Civil Commissioner of Seychelles complained to the Colonial Secretary in Mauritius of the ‘manufacture and consumption at almost every cottage of deleterious fermented drinks made from the sugar cane, pineapple and cocoa-nut’ (Seychelles Archive B-31: 280).
The first law dealing with the manufacturing and sale of baka was a regulation in 1880. It enacted the unlawfulness for any person, except a duly licensed distiller, to sell or barter or have in his possession the fermented cane juice or baka. This means that it was always permissible to prepare and consume sweet baka without penalty. However, the possession of it, when only fermented, was being prohibited.
LEARN MORE
If you want to explore this topic further and learn more about the culture and traditions of these small gems in the middle of the Indian Ocean, click here or on the book cover below. This will link you to our newly published book, which takes you on a journey that is “unique by a thousand miles.” It provides historical context for some of our cultural practices, deepening your appreciation of the Seychelles and hopefully inspiring you to visit, explore, and engage in these activities.
Get your copy and let us begin our journey into the rich and fascinating world of the Seychellois Creole heritage. Open these pages and begin the journey through the coconut groves, the plantations, the workshops and the paths that once linked village to village. Discover the skills, customs and stories that helped shape the Seychellois people.
We will climb coconut palms to tap toddy, discover how baka is made, follow the work of picking and husking coconuts, and learn how copra was produced, among other things. These were not merely occupations; they were part of the rhythm of life in the islands, passed from one generation to another.
Some of these traditions have survived and continue, at least in part, to this day. Others have gradually disappeared, becoming memories of an older Seychelles. Guano mining, the production of karot taba, and the cultivation of patchouli increasingly belong to that vanished world, a world worth remembering before its stories fade completely.
Click here or on the book cover to start your journey into the Seychellois Creole World.
