The remaining thin piece of skin, the zest, could then be used to extract the colour or flavour, or chopped up for animal feed. “The price of the peel,” said Mr Medi logically, “would have to cover what we otherwise get from all the by-products at the very least.”Our purchases limited to lime juice, we had tea and Indian cakes, and then made to leave. “What’s the situation with peel?” Ravi asked.”What do you mean? We use the peel.”Ravi was not to be put off “What if I wanted to buy some?”A shrug. “That would really cost you.” It transpired that the processing method used in the region involved coring out the fruit, which was pressed for juice Then the peel was shaved to remove the “rag”. The villagers had to pay an annual tax on each marked toddy tree. Nearing the end of our 100-mile journey, the scenery opened out into attractive rolling country, with a beautiful range of hills to the left with cattle on the cool slopes.

Here, at last, were the lime groves – row upon row of laden trees as far as the eye could see.In Gudur, we met Mr Medi, the current boss of a lime business founded by his father. The price of juice was haggled, an agreement reached and an order placed. And as they do, the boys repeat the cycle of what must be nature’s most bounteous blessing – a never-ending supply of free beer.”I was still not fully convinced, so Ravi pulled over to a tree beside the road and showed me a marker on it, numbered and stamped by the government. In the morning they bring down the pots full of liquor and leave them out in the open.

The heat of the sun ferments the liquor during the day, and by the evening of the same day there is alcohol for the villagers to drink. “I’m telling you,” he protested, “they give out a liquor that ferments Every evening the boys shin up and fix the empty pots. He wanted to buy lime juice as usual, but he also wanted to discuss the economics of buying just the peel. There is a big market for this in lime marmalade for India, Asia and the Western world.The road then descended into a river valley where a new wooden bridge was being built with the help of working elephants. The trees were perhaps 50ft high, stark and almost branchless until the top where there was an umbrella of small branches and leaves “Toddy trees,” Ravi observed “They give beer.”I laughed I was sure he was kidding. Indian elephants have small ears and a compliant nature, and seem to have an understanding of human instructions.