QUASSIA | CUASIA
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Quassia is a bitter wood with a bold legacy. While it may not be a household name today, this plant has been used for centuries as a digestive tonic, insect repellent, and even a tool of political resistance. That’s right—quassia doesn’t just heal. It tells a story of survival, identity, and global exchange.
Botanically, quassia refers to a few different trees in the Simaroubaceae family, most notably Quassia amara, native to Central and South America, and Picrasma excelsa, found in the Caribbean. What they share is one unforgettable trait: they are intensely, unapologetically bitter. And that bitterness is exactly what makes them so valuable.
The story of quassia really begins with Quassia amara, a small tropical tree named after a man: Graman Quassi, an enslaved healer and botanist of West African descent who lived in Suriname in the 18th century. Quassi—yes, that’s his real name—was famous in his time for his knowledge of herbal medicine. He used the bark of the tree to treat fevers, intestinal parasites, and malaria-like illnesses. His skill and reputation were so strong that even European scientists took notice.
When Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus formally described the plant, he named it “Quassia” in honor of the healer who first introduced it to European medicine. It’s one of the earliest recorded cases of a plant being named after an African herbalist—a rare and powerful recognition in the history of science.
By the late 18th century, quassia extract was making its way into European apothecaries, praised for its ability to stimulate digestion, kill intestinal worms, and support liver function. Unlike gentian or wormwood, quassia could be stored as wood chips and used to infuse liquids, making it easy to transport and preserve.
Quassia also found a place in folk medicine across the Caribbean and Latin America, often included in bitters, tonics, and stomach remedies. In Jamaican bush medicine, for example, Picrasma excelsa (a regional species) is brewed into teas to treat appetite loss, digestive complaints, and parasites.
Quassia | Cuasia
But quassia's bitterness wasn't just for the body—it was also used politically. In 18th-century England, brewers used quassia as a bittering agent in beer instead of hops. This led to public outrage over what was perceived as tampering with beer purity, and sparked some of the earliest consumer protection laws in brewing.
In modern herbal medicine, quassia is still respected as one of the strongest bitters available. It’s used in digestive formulas, parasite cleanses, and even in natural insect repellents and lice treatments—yep, it’s that powerful. The active compound quassin is so bitter it's used as a benchmark for measuring bitterness in pharmacology.
So whether it’s helping your gut, protecting your plants, or making you appreciate your IPA a little more, quassia is a plant with roots that run deep. It carries with it a legacy of resilience, recognition, and the enduring power of herbal knowledge passed through generations.
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