From Cerasee to Mint - 11 Jamaican Teas to Charge you Up
The top flavors, blends, and brands of tea available in Jamaica
Whether you're sipping a teacup of cerasee, a mug of mint, a glass of ginger, or a thermos of fever grass, tea drinking is that Jamaican tradition steeped in colonial heritage that brings comfort.
It’s no secret that Jamaicans believe hot tea cures every sort of infirmity, but there is some truth to teas’ healing and soothing properties. To get you all the facts, we’re spilling the “tea” and sharing our list of the top flavors, blends, and brands of tea available in Jamaica that will charge you up.
Cerasee
Beyond its healing properties, most people agree that cerasee tea is remarkably bitter. So why do Jamaicans like it?
Made from the bitter melon plant leaves, cerasee contains antioxidants that help with abdominal pain and detox to cleanse your body and boost your immune system.
Cerasee tea is rich in phenols and natural antioxidants, which can help with high cholesterol and inflammation. It’s caffeine-free and easy to prepare by steeping in hot water. But as cerasee tea is naturally bitter, many people add a bit of honey or sugar to make it palatable.
Experts even say cerasee tea is excellent for treating parasitic worms, diabetes, psoriasis, eczema, rashes, high blood pressure, and menstrual pains. Others even use cerasee leaves to make skincare products like face and body soaps and scrubs.
Mint Tea
This tea is the momint!
Like cerasee, Jamaicans swear by the healing properties of peppermint tea. Most Jamaicans born before the early 2000s can recount having to pick peppermint leaves and “drawing” fresh mint tea in the mornings. Still a crowd favorite today, refreshing mint tea is excellent for helping to fight viral and bacterial infections. Peppermint tea is also caffeine-free, rich in antioxidants and vitamins, and delicious when served traditionally as hot or iced tea. Some tea drinkers combine peppermint with hot cocoa, cerasee, or ginger tea to boost flavor and nutrients in the morning.
Ginger Tea
The ultimate “buss gas” tea is ginger. Jamaicans believe it has many benefits, including therapeutic relief of nausea, migraine, headaches, indigestion, stomach gas, nasal congestion, and many other common ailments. While many Jamaicans steep the ginger root in boiling water to make fresh tea, there are several ginger teas on supermarket shelves across the island. Tea makers crush freshly harvested ginger roots to extract the concentrated juice, then dry them to produce an instant ginger powder or grate it to create dried ginger flakes in tea bags. Like cerasee, ginger has a strong flavor when steeped, so you may want to sweeten it with sugar or honey to balance the taste.
Lemongrass Tea
Known more popularly in Jamaica as fever grass tea, lemongrass is the perfect choice for a cup of rich-tasting, fragrant tea. Most local brands use only the best organically grown solar-dried lemongrass leaves to create premium blends. Fever grass is the ultimate relaxation beverage for the end of a busy day and what the doctor ordered when you need to kick a cold. Lemongrass also has medicinal purposes that help to relieve anxiety, pain, and bloating. Thankfully, it’s not bitter like cerasee but has a bright citrus note that makes it as irresistible as it is refreshing.
Soursop Leaf Tea
From the tree of the tangy, prickly-like fruit comes the soursop leaf, known for being a herbal power drink. Like cerasee and other Jamaican faves, soursop leaf tea has many natural antioxidants and minerals, making it a great immune system booster. It’s perfect for revitalizing and cleansing the body of toxins and relaxing the body, making it an ideal sleep aid. Soursop tea is caffeine-free, gluten-free, and can even support weight loss.
Bissy Tea
A go-to for poison control, bissy, like cerasee, is another bitter blend brewed on the island. Many people use it to treat food poisoning, allergies, infection, diarrhea, and fever. It's also used to boost your metabolism to increase weight loss. Unlike other teas, bissy contains caffeine since it comes from the Kola nut. People use it as a stimulant to keep alert and enhance well-being. Rumor has it that bissy was a part of Coca-Cola’s original recipe.
A go-to for poison control, bissy, like cerasee, is another bitter blend brewed on the island. Many people use it to treat food poisoning, allergies, infection, diarrhea, and fever. It's also used to boost your metabolism to increase weight loss. Unlike other teas, bissy contains caffeine since it comes from the Kola nut. People use it as a stimulant to keep alert and enhance well-being. Rumor has it that bissy was a part of Coca-Cola’s original recipe.
Sorrel Tea
Nothing beats the classic Jamaican sorrel drink enjoyed mainly during the December holidays. But now, sorrel lovers can enjoy its flavor all year round as Jamaican tea makers have created blends to persevere its taste and nostalgia. Also known as Roselle or Hibiscus, this plant is prevalent in the Caribbean. The dried flowers have a variety of uses, including iced sorrel drink, sorrel rum punch, and of course, warm sorrel tea. Like its colder variation, sorrel tea pairs well with ginger.
Cinamon Tea
This warm spicy flavor isn’t just for cookies and cakes. Cinnamon tea is unique and filled with antioxidants offering many health benefits, including reducing inflammation and blood sugar levels, improving heart health, and encouraging weight loss. It’s made from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree to give you a rich and spicy flavor. This fresh Jamaican herbal tea brings the sweet, delicate aroma of warm spices to your cup with a distinct taste you’re sure to enjoy.
Moringa Tea
After your first cup, you’ll ask for mor...inga ;)
This potent, nutrient-rich tea offers a smooth, rich, and tasty flavor that’s good for you. Moringa tea comes from leaves found on the drumstick tree and has antioxidants, essential vitamins, and minerals that support overall health and longevity. Give your brain and body a boost with this nourishing herbal blend packed with all the goodness to get you feeling focused and refreshed.
Rosemary Tea
Beyond flavoring steaks, roast chickens, and soups, rosemary makes for a delectable tea blend. Rosemary is best known for improving memory and is a rich source of anti-inflammatory compounds. Like cerasee and mint, this tea is naturally caffeine-free but boasts a delicious, refreshing flavor perfect for winding down after a long day. In addition to its great taste, rosemary tea is also nutrient-rich to support overall health. This all-natural tea will delight your taste buds and revive your body with just a few sips.
Floral and Speciality Teas
Of course, as time evolves, so do the traditions of a nation. While the teas mentioned before are more common tea blends made in Jamaica, upcoming tea masters are creating new and unique tea combinations and flavors. Other tea ingredients include lychee, turmeric, neem, dried coconut, lavender, chamomile, rose buds, orange peels, nutmeg, cocoa nibs, vanilla, anise, and cloves, to name a few. These flavors can stand alone or pair with other classic ingredients to create tea blends that will charge you up and keep you warm.
So, if you only knew about Jamaican cerasee before, now you’ve learned about several other classic and unique tea flavors. To try these blends, visit caribshopper.com and have them delivered to your door anywhere in the USA or Canada.
*Pinkies in the air*
*Pinkies in the air*
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