I recently returned from honeymooning on the beautiful and quiet island of Nevis (it’s one of the most secluded spots in the entire Caribbean). While the crystal clear waters and pristine beaches had me questioning whether I should ever return home, there is one element of the island that stood out to me like no other – it’s use of natural herbs to make healing, easy-to-make teas.

Nevis is a small island to the southeast of Puerto Rico, primarily accessible by boat or else private plane. Together with its neighboring island of St. Kitts, the two islands constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It’s the perfect off-the-map, relaxing travel destination.

But as far off the map as it is, I of course, could not leave my American habits behind –  the first thing I asked for every morning was COFFEE.  However, one morning, a local Nevisian took me aside and and told me to “try this” –she handed me a bag of loose leaves and quickly brought over a pot of hot water.  I had been invited into the world of “bush tea.”

Bush tea, I learned, is the drink that Nevisians have every morning (coffee, they claim, is “an American thing”).  Bush tea is tea made from the native plants of the island.  Largely due to the lushness of their home island, many Nevesians simply go outside every morning and pick the herb of their choice–lemongrass, mint, basil, and soursop, to name just a few–and use one or a combination–mint and lemongrass are popular to make their tea. The tea is made after properly washing the herb of choice, placing it in a pot of hot water (just below boiling) and letting the herb “draw” for about three to five minutes. After which, a delicious and extremely healthy pot of tea is enjoyed.

I was in love at the first sip.  After trying it that morning, I had a whole pot each remaining morning of our trip.  It was delicious and light; it made me feel refreshed, and, so importantly, hydrated–as opposed to that dry, dehydrated feeling you get whenever you drink coffee.

The benefits of bush tea are manifold and deserving of a future blog post all their own.  But for now, I will simply say that since returning from our trip, our household is now a bush tea seven mornings a week institution!

If you would like to make your own pot of bush tea, find a local farmer’s market and buy some fresh, organic herbs (my favorites are mint and lemongrass). At home, after washing your herb of choice, boil a pot of water, let set for two minutes, then add your herb(s) to steep for five minutes–time is the key here, as it allows the nutrients from the leaves to properly draw into the water.

Please send me an email and let me know what you think at ritaabro@gmail.com  I hope you enjoy!

Wishing you health and happiness,

Rita