Today M is for Mauby. It is a classic bajan drink. "Bajan" is what barbadians call themselves. It can be both noun and adjective and is used more than "barbadian" to describe things in our lives.
Mauby is made from the bitter bark of a tree that ironically does not gtow on the island. Yet it is a national staple, as important as rum. Well...almost as important...
To make the drink you mix an extract if the bark with water and sugar to taste. The extract is made by boiling mauby bark shavings in water with spices. The result is too bitter for words but properly diluted, sweetened and chilled and you have the loveliest drink.
Bajans are really one of the few Caribbean countries that drink it. We usually have issue with mauby from other countries- Trinidad adds something called aniseed which we generally don't care for. Further north, I have heard, places like the Virgin Islands for example, seem to ferment it. Ugh!
Here is a link to a much more extensive post I did on Mauby on another blog:
http://gaylecooks.blogspot.com/2014/02/maubypart-1.html?m=1
Clearly I had planned to do a second post on the topic but don't remember what it was.....
It looks like it comes from bark. LOL Thanks for the info, I think I'll pass!
ReplyDeleteIt resembles a glass of ice tea. I'm sure it is good. But I bet it is an acquired taste. Fascinating blog.
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It resembles a glass of ice tea. I'm sure it is good. But I bet it is an acquired taste. Fascinating blog.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from A to Z.
Hi Ann, yes it can be an acquired taste. For example, most Jamaicans I know, don't care for it much. For us Bajans it is a must-have. Thanks for the comments.
ReplyDeleteHi Ann, yes it can be an acquired taste. For example, most Jamaicans I know, don't care for it much. For us Bajans it is a must-have. Thanks for the comments.
ReplyDelete