Moujean Tea/Bahama Berry
Description
In the Bahamas: Moujean tea (Nashia inaguensis).
The mint plant family (Lamiaceae) has three endemic genera in the Antilles.
Nashia has seven species endemic to Cuba, the Bahamas, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico.
Nashia inaguensis is common in lowland dry forests on the island of Great Inagua in the Bahamas archipelago, but rare in Puerto Rico and St. Croix. The endangered atala butterfly feeds on its tiny flowers.
In the Bahamas: Moujean tea (Nashia inaguensis).
The mint plant family (Lamiaceae) has three endemic genera in the Antilles.
Nashia has seven species endemic to Cuba, the Bahamas, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico.
Nashia inaguensis is common in lowland dry forests on the island of Great Inagua in the Bahamas archipelago, but rare in Puerto Rico and St. Croix. The endangered atala butterfly feeds on its tiny flowers.
Bahama Berry is a low growing bushy shrub indigenous to the Bahamas and very well suited to Florida's subtropical climate. This plant thrives on humidity and heat! The plant has tiny, rough textured shiny leaves that emit a delicious aroma when crushed. The fragrance has been compared to a blend of vanilla, honey and pineapple. The leaves and flowers are used to make a tasty, sweet herbal tea. Warning: Bahama Berry does not tolerate drying out. In fact, it’s nick name is “I dry, I die”. Additionally, it can become leggy if grown in partial shade, and it can grow huge if not harvested regularly. These plants are also know by the names Moujean Tea and Pineapple Verbena. When maintained and pruned regularly, the plant can become a very nice, compact plant and can make interesting bonsai specimens.
There are a lot of uses for this plant. The pleasant aroma, the wonderful sweetness, and the decorative attributes. Whether you plan on using it primarily or solely for tea or if you want to explore some of the other uses by trying the leaves and extracts in soaps, candles, or foods, this is a great option for those who are wanting to try something new.
To make a delicious tea follow this recipe
To make an aromatic tea, you want to use 1 to 3 teaspoons of leaves for every cup of water. This wide range is caused by the changes in flavor profile depending on age with younger leaves being more aromatic and older leaves being more flavorful and less sweet. You can also add in a pinch of the berries or flower petals to add to the aroma. Make sure that you crush the leaves right before making the tea to bring out the flavors.
Steep for 3 minutes for the crushed leaves, but the petals should only be steeped for one minute. Then, while the tea is sweet by itself, it compliments honey well so you can add some of that. You can also add the tea into other tea blends and it tastes really good with black teas and can add some complexity to Chai varieties. Herbal tea blends also go well.
Steep for 3 minutes for the crushed leaves, but the petals should only be steeped for one minute. Then, while the tea is sweet by itself, it compliments honey well so you can add some of that. You can also add the tea into other tea blends and it tastes really good with black teas and can add some complexity to Chai varieties. Herbal tea blends also go well.
