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Dominican Republic > Dominican souvenirs & specialities> Mamajuana

Dominican specialities: Mamajuana

Mamajuana

Mamajuana (or Mama Juana) is a Dominican drink, which is concocted by allowing rum, red wine, and honey to soak for days into a bottle together with herbs, leaves and spices. Mamajuana has a fame of "cure all" remedy. Mamajuana is an aphrodisiac. Dominicans believe, it promotes male virility, and it also valuable for more 'feminine needs'.

Many Dominicans make home made Mamajuana. The taste of Mamajuana is something between port wine and herbal liqueur. The color is deep red or brown. The actual combination of ingredients and their relative quantities is a closely guarded secret, but it certainly contains rum, wine, honey, and a long list of local herbs and spices.

Mamajuana is a great souvenir to bring home instead of (or as well as) the obligatory Dominican rum. It can be bought in many shops in the Dominican Republic. Once the 'liquor' has been consumed, the "herbal ingredients" can be reused again and again. You can also buy the herbal mixture for Mamajuana, and make the remedial drink at home, adding rum, wine and honey to the bottle with herbs.