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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

West Indian 'Iced Tea' - a summer recipe

Here are the ingredients for one of my favorite summer beverages - it's called mauby. 
Served cold, its a golden brown, bracing thirst quencher. OK... its an acquired taste, but it is brown. I've been drinking a lot of it lately as a substitute for coca cola: no caffeine, no fizz, but I've got the cold covered.

Clockwise from top: 
mauby bark from the mauby tree
anise/anise seed  
(use either seeds OR flower stalk with seeds)
star anise (seed pod shown with seeds)
clove
cinnamon stick
bay leaf 
and at the center - spice.

To make the concentrate:
*Add 3 cups of water to a medium sized pot over a high fire.
*Add 8 pieces of mauby bark, plus all other ingredients (in about the amounts shown) to the water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil till water reduces to about 2 cups brownish concentrate.
*Pour off the concentrate and save.
*Add a fresh 3 cups of water to the pot of herbs and boil again. This can be done 2 more times, each   successive boil yielding a less bitter concentrate.

To make the beverage:
*Add 2 or more parts water to 1 part concentrate (depending on how much hair you want on your chest).
*Add sugar to taste.
*Chill and serve.

Photo: tonight, kitchen table.

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