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Cerasee tea
Cerasee tea: wild bitter melon vine steeped into a pale green bush tea, very bitter and traditionally taken as a cleanser
Cerasee grows wild on fences and roadsides all over Jamaica, a thin vine with lacy leaves, yellow flowers and small warty orange fruit. It is the best known of the island's bush teas: generations of Jamaican children were given a cup at the end of the summer holidays, before going back to school, as a wash-out, and adults still drink it now and then as a cleansing and cooling tonic, or for the skin. The tea is pale green-gold and seriously bitter, with a grassy, slightly vegetal taste; some add sugar or lime. The common mistake is boiling the vine hard for a long time, which makes the tea far harsher than it needs to be. Pour boiling water over it and let it steep instead, and leave out any ripe fruit and seeds. It is ready when the water is light green-gold and smells green and herbal. Do not drink it if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, do not give it to young children, and check with a doctor if you have diabetes or take medication, as it may lower blood sugar. Chef's tip: dried cerasee from Caribbean shops works well; use a little less.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the tea
- ½ oz fresh cerasee vine with leavesa small handful, or 2 tsp dried; no ripe fruit or seeds
- 2 cups water
To taste
- 2 tsp sugar (optional)
- 2 lime wedge (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Rinse ½ oz fresh cerasee vine with leaves well under cold water and pick off any fruit, flowers or seeds. Bundle the sprigs and twist them lightly to bruise the leaves.
3 minStep 2: Bring 2 cups water to the boil in a small pan, then turn off the heat.
5 minStep 3: Drop in the cerasee, cover and steep for 5–8 minutes, until the water is light green-gold and smells strongly herbal.
8 minStep 4: Strain into cups. Taste first, then add 2 tsp sugar or a squeeze of 2 lime wedge if you like. Drink warm, one cup at a time.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 3 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cerasee tea take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 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.
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