MAMAJUANA
MAMAJUANA
Mamajuana is a traditional drink from the Dominican Republic, with origins that date back to the pre-Colombus native Caribbean Taino people. As history also goes, it would have been one of the first distilled spirits in the Americas and rum was subsequently added to the recipe. Mamajuana becomes a fine blend by allowing rum, red wine and honey to soak in a bottle with tree bark and herbs. Besides being rumoured to be an aphrodisiac, with many natives and visitors of the Dominican Republic claiming that the drink has similar effects, Mamajuana is also consumed for it’s rumoured medicinal value.
THE HERBS
Several different local Caribbean herbs, leaves, bark, sticks and roots can be found on Mamajuana, and in different combinations. Our special recipe has been a Dominican family secret for generations, and anyone who tries it will realize it was a secret you can’t just keep it from sharing with the world. It includes, for example:
Anamú (Petiveria alliacea)
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Anis Estrellado (star anise, Illicium verum)
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Bohuco Pega Palo (Cissus verticillata)
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Albahaca (basil, Ocimum basilicum)
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Canelilla (Cinnamodendron ekmanii)