How to Brew Cerasee Tea (and Why Jamaicans Swear By It)

Ask anyone who grew up in yaad about cerasee and watch their face. First the grimace — because cerasee is bitter, truly bitter — and then the smile, because that bitterness is tied to memory: a grandmother at the stove, a vine climbing the fence, a cup you drank because you were told it was good for you.

What is cerasee?

Cerasee (Momordica charantia, also called bitter melon vine) grows wild across Jamaica, wrapping itself around fences and hedges. For generations it has been the island's go-to bush tea for a periodic cleanse and reset — brewed from the dried vine and leaves, never sweetened by the traditionalists.

How to brew it

Bring fresh water to a rolling boil. Add a small handful of dried cerasee vine and leaves, cut the heat, and let it steep for five to seven minutes. Strain and drink it warm. The color should be a deep golden-green; the taste will be assertively bitter. That's not a flaw — in Jamaican bush tea tradition, the bitterness is understood as the medicine.

A ritual, not a habit

Cerasee is traditionally taken as an occasional ritual — a few mornings in a row, then a rest — rather than an everyday cup. Listen to your body, and if you're pregnant, nursing, or managing a medical condition, talk with your doctor before adding any herbal tea to your routine.

Our Cerasee Herbal Tea is wild-picked and dried slowly in small batches, so what reaches your cup is the same vine that climbs the fences back home. And if you love the ritual beyond the cup, cerasee also anchors our Bush Bath Soak Blend. Steeped in soul, sipped with intention.