Quirky Foodster
  1. Back

Drinks

Guyanese Mauby

The Quirky Foodster Team

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (0)

Ingredients

  • 30g (1 oz) mauby bark, rinsed
  • 1.5L (6 cups) water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 small piece orange peel
  • 150-200g (3/4-1 cup) sugar, or to taste
  • Ice, for serving

Method

  1. Combine mauby bark, water, cinnamon, cloves and orange peel in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, for at least 8 hours or overnight for maximum flavour extraction.
  3. Strain the liquid through a fine strainer or cheesecloth into a pitcher, discarding the solids.
  4. Stir in sugar to taste while the liquid is still warm, until fully dissolved.
  5. Chill thoroughly and serve over ice; a light foam often forms on top when poured, which is traditional and desirable.

Introduction: Mauby is a bittersweet drink made from boiled tree bark, spiced with cinnamon and clove, enjoyed across Guyana and the wider Caribbean as a refreshing, digestif-like beverage often sold from large jars by street vendors.

Cultural Background: Mauby is a bittersweet drink made from boiled tree bark, spiced with cinnamon and clove, enjoyed across Guyana and the wider Caribbean as a refreshing, digestif-like beverage often sold from large jars by street vendors.

Tips: The longer the steep, the more pronounced the characteristic bitterness — adjust steeping time to taste. Pour from a height into the glass to encourage the traditional light foam on top.

Variations: Add a few drops of vanilla or a strip of lime peel for extra aromatic complexity. Some households add a splash of the drink itself as a natural starter ('mother') to future batches, deepening flavour over time.

Storage: Refrigerate in a covered pitcher for up to 1 week; flavour continues to develop over the first few days.

Reheating: Served cold; no reheating needed.

Nutrition: Approx. 90 kcal, 0g protein, 23g carbohydrate, 0g fat per 250ml serving.

© Arscale 2026