Mama Juana

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This article is about the drink. For the band, see Mamajuana (band).

Mamajuana, an alcoholic drink from the Dominican Republic

Mama Juana is a drink from the Dominican Republic that is concocted by allowing rum, red wine, and honey to soak in a bottle with tree bark and herbs[1]. The taste is quite similar to port wine and the color is a deep red. It is seen and advertised as an aphrodisiac, with many natives of the Dominican Republic claiming that the drink has similar effects to Viagra. Women have also claimed that Mama Juana enhances sexual desire.

Origin of the name: Mama Juana (or mamajuana) comes from the english word Demijohn, which refers to a large squat bottle with a short narrow neck, usually covered in wicker. The word is thought to be derived from the French Dame Jeanne (Lady Jane), a term which is also still used to describe this bottle. In the Spanish-speaking countries, Dame Jeanne was transformed into Dama Juana and later, into Mama Juana (mother Jane). For this reason it is easy to see why there are many different variations of recipes to make Mamajuana, since the name refers to the container/bottle originally used to prepare and store the maceration, rather than to the finished product itself[2].

Preparation: Basically, Mama Juana is a mixture of bark and herbs left to soak in rum (most often dark rum but the use of white rum is not uncommon), red wine and honey. The solid ingredients (local leaves, sticks and roots) vary from region to region but usually include some of the following:

In addition to the above standard recipe, it is common for individuals to add other ingredients such as cinnamon, raisins, molasses, and lemon or lime juice. The concoction is usually kept at room temperature and served in a shot glass. As with many other alcoholic drinks the longer the maker lets it sit the better it tastes.

Recipes for what to do with this concoction vary a bit, but common advice from Dominicans is to first remove the bitterness from the elements above by soaking in red wine for a week or so, turning every once in a while, then throwing the wine out. Then, fill the bottle of soaked bark/herbs with 1/4 honey and 3/4 dark rum, possibly adding vanilla, ginger or cinnamon sticks if you like those flavors. After a few days, drink, then repeat the honey/rum mixture until the flavor of the bark/herbs disappears. Some say you can do this 15 to 20 times, while others say a single concoction of bark/herbs can be used for years.

Whilst Mama Juana liqueurs have become most popularly known for their supposed ability to stimulate the libido, the drink was originally regarded as a cure-all that was an effective treatment for many ailments from a common cold, or influenza, right through to far more serious conditions. This reputation may have derived from traditional remedies handed down through the ages from as far back as the times when the ancient Taino tribes inhabited Quisqueya as the island that became the Dominican Republic (and Haiti) was called, prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus.[3]

Whatever the truth about Mama Juana's efficacy there have been a number of recent, and reputable scientific studies that have confirmed the potentially positive healthful effects of some of the typical herbal and botanical ingredients that may be used in the brewing of the liquor. Examples could be said to include resveratrol, in red wine, thought to enhance longevity, and the use of cinnamon in blood sugar control for diabetes sufferers. Studies into some of the rarer botanical herbs, roots and barks used in making Mama Juana are still ongoing.

[edit] References

  1. ^ ExportDR
  2. ^ http://www.rumshop.net/mamajuana.html Rum Runner Press, Inc.
  3. ^ http://www.realmamajuana.com/mamajuana-articles/history-of-mamajuana.html
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