Mabí

Ingredients

The bark

• 50 gdried mabi bark
• Colubrina elliptica
• bought from a trusted source
• 2 litreswater

Spices

• 2cinnamon sticks
• 6whole cloves
• a piece of fresh ginger
• a strip of orange peel
• 1star anise, optional

To sweeten and ferment

• 400 gsugar
• or to taste
• a little previous mabi
• as a starter, optional

Equipment

• a large clean bucket
• muslin or a cloth
• plastic bottles
• or bottles with loose caps

Directions

1. Keep it short and cold to keep it low. Use plastic bottles or leave caps loose. Cold slows the fermentation right down. Wash all the equipment thoroughly. Rinse it all with boiling water. Put the dried bark in a large pot. Add all of the water to the pot. Add the cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Add the orange peel to the pot. Bring the pot up to a full boil.
2. Let it cook for about twenty-five minutes. Twenty-five minutes is a reasonable middle. Adjust it once you have made it once. Judging the extraction takes a look.
3. Strain it through a fine sieve. Line it with cloth for a clearer drink. Discard the bark and the spices. Taste it to judge how much to dilute. Sweetening it is done while warm. Add the sugar to the strained liquid.
4. Stir it until it dissolves completely. Both purposes need a real amount. Let it cool to about room temperature. It must be below thirty degrees.
5. Wait until it is comfortable to touch. Stir in a little previous mabi if you have it. Cover the bucket loosely with a cloth. Gas must be able to escape freely. Leave it somewhere cool and dark. Give it about twenty-four hours.
6. Warm rooms ferment it much faster. Cooler rooms take considerably longer. Pour it carefully into bottles. Leave the sediment behind in the bucket. Leave a good gap at the top of each bottle.
7. Put the bottles in the refrigerator. Cold slows the yeast almost to a stop. Pour it into glasses from a height. Pour from as high as you can manage. It settles within a minute or two. Add more sugar if it is too bitter. It is drunk cold in hot weather. Check the bottles daily for pressure.

Technique

• Never harvest bark you cannot identify, since many tree barks are genuinely toxic and misidentification can cause serious harm; buy dried mabi bark from Caribbean shops or markets, which removes the risk entirely.
• Fermentation produces carbon dioxide, and in a sealed bottle that builds pressure that can burst glass, which is genuinely dangerous. Use plastic bottles or leave caps loose, squeeze the side of a plastic bottle as a pressure gauge, and refrigerate as soon as it is lightly fizzy.
• The bark contains saponins, which foam when agitated in water and give both the characteristic thick head and the slightly soapy taste; saponins in large amounts can irritate the gut, so follow the traditional proportions and do not brew it far stronger than usual.

Substitutions

• Mauby in the eastern Caribbean and mavi in Puerto Rico use the same bark and method.
• A little previous mabi added as a starter gives a far more reliable fermentation.

Variations

• The bitterness varies with how long the bark is boiled.
• Star anise, nutmeg or bay are added to the spices in some versions.
• It is poured from a height to raise the thick foam it is known for.

History

Made from the bark of Colubrina elliptica, a Taino-era practice continued across the Caribbean; it is lightly fermented and sold cold in bottles.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mabí?

Mabí is a drink from Dominican Republic: fizzy, bitter drink fermented from tree bark with sugar and spices. Made from the bark of Colubrina elliptica, a Taino-era practice continued across the Caribbean; it is lightly fermented and sold cold in bottles.

How long does Mabí take to make?

Mabí takes 20 minutes plus fermenting of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 3 litres. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Mabí?

Yes, within limits. Mauby in the eastern Caribbean and mavi in Puerto Rico use the same bark and method. A little previous mabi added as a starter gives a far more reliable fermentation.

What is the most important thing to get right in Mabí?

Stir it until it dissolves completely. Both purposes need a real amount. Let it cool to about room temperature. It must be below thirty degrees.