Pineapples grow like this!

Last year as I endured the weight loss process and shed thirty pounds, tea became something I drank every day. Once I hit my 1400 calorie ceiling and still wanted something sweet or something warm or just something in my mouth, I came to rely on tea. With endless choices of tea I almost forgot about this treasure of a tea I learned from a woman named Bernadette from Cotonou, Benin. If you ever drooled over pineapple upside down cake, you will rave over this Beninese pineapple tea.

Benin grows the most amazing pineapples I’ve ever tasted. They come in white and yellow varieties. We used to buy them roadside for less than a dollar marveling as little kids expertly hacked off the skin. They would serve it to us to eat right there in the road holding it by the stem like a turkey leg. They don’t waste anything in Benin and this is how the pineapple tea begins. Pineapples are full of bromelain, an enzyme excellent for digestion. It also reduces inflammation, excessive coagulation of the blood, and certain types of tumor growth. Pineapples are now in season so after you eat the fruit, try this healthy West African tea.

Cut all the skin and the stem off the pineapple.

Place what you would normally compost or throw away into a pot and cover completely with water. Compost the green stem. Bring to a boil. Then simmer.

Reduce to simmer for about 45-60 minutes or until the aroma of pineapple upside down cake permeates the kitchen.

When the liquid becomes this golden yellow color, your tea is ready. I added one packet of Stevia to a half gallon of tea. Add honey or agave or stevia to taste. Fresh ginger would partner well.