Sri Lanka’s kithul tapping inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List

Source : dailynews.lk

Sri Lanka’s traditional practice of kithul madeema, or kithul tapping, has been inscribed in 2025 (20.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Kithul tapping, practiced in rural village communities, involves collecting sap from the kithul tree—a tall palm found in forests and home gardens.

Using a ladder and a sacred tapping knife, tappers harvest sap daily, which is then boiled into kithul treacle (kithul honey) or processed into jaggery, vinegar, and alcoholic drinks.

Kithul products play a key role in ceremonies, festivals, and gatherings, while the practice itself preserves cultural identity, promotes community unity, and fosters a connection with nature.

Traditionally, men collect the sap and women process it, and although formal training exists through cooperatives and government programmes, most knowledge is passed down informally at home.