''Odiyal'' is a hard, edible snack made from

palmyra palm ''Borassus'' (palmyra palm) is a genus of five species of fan palms, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Papua New Guinea. Description These massive palms can grow up to high and have robust trunks with distinct leaf scars; in so ...

tubers ( Palmyra sprouts). Generally, it is split into two and dried until it gets hard. Odiyal can be prepared in another form called ''Pulukodiyal'' ( புழுக்கொடியல்). ''Pulukodiyal'' is prepared by boiling and then drying. It is used to produce Pulukodiyal flour. Odiyal is a main ingredient for some food products such as Odiyal flour, Odiyal chips, Odiyal pittu, Odiyal kool, Palm posha, etc. It is a popular snack in the Jaffna peninsula.

Research

A study says that odiyal has

carbohydrate In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or m ...

, fibre,

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

fat In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple est ...

and

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

in various levels. It has likely

toxicity Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subs ...

and it can be reduced by heating to 80 °C for 15 – 20 minutes.

References

External links

The Palmyra or Toddy Palm (Borassus flabellifer L.)

Some studies on the neurotoxic effect of palmyrah odiyal flour
{{Sri Lankan cuisine Borassus Edible palms Indian cuisine Sri Lankan snack food