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Bissy tea (kola nut tea)
Bissy tea: grated kola nut parched and boiled into a strong, dark, bitter tea, an old Jamaican country remedy sweetened with sugar
Kola trees came to Jamaica with enslaved West Africans, and the nut, called bissy on the island, has stayed in country medicine ever since. Older people in St Mary, St Elizabeth and the hills of Clarendon still keep a dried bissy in the kitchen and grate some into boiling water when the stomach is upset or after eating something that disagreed with them,. Parched in a dry pan first, the grated nut gives a reddish-brown tea that smells faintly of cocoa and tastes bitter and astringent, softened by plenty of sugar. The common mistake is boiling raw, ungrated nut and expecting much flavour: whole pieces give little. Grate it finely, parch it until it darkens and smells like toasted cocoa, then boil. It is ready when the tea is a deep reddish-brown and coats the tongue with bitterness. Kola nut is very high in caffeine, as strong as a big mug of coffee or more, so drink one cup, not late in the day, and keep it away from children, pregnant people and anyone sensitive to caffeine or with heart trouble. Chef's tip: strain it through a fine cloth; the grated nut leaves a gritty sediment that a sieve lets through.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the tea
- ⅓ oz dried kola nut (bissy)about 1 small nut; from Caribbean or West African shops
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 tbsp sugaror to taste
To finish
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Grate ⅓ oz dried kola nut (bissy) finely on a nutmeg grater or the fine side of a box grater.
3 minStep 2: Parch the grated nut in a dry pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes, until it darkens a shade and smells like toasted cocoa. Do not let it burn.
3 minStep 3: Add 2 ½ cups water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until the tea is deep reddish-brown.
10 minStep 4: Strain through a fine cloth or coffee filter into a jug, stir in 2 tbsp sugar until dissolved and add 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg if you like. Serve hot, one cup per person.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 35 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bissy tea (kola nut tea) take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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