Pau D'Arco Bark
Bark stripped from a flowering South American hardwood, pau d'arco has been brewed as a tea for centuries across Brazil and Argentina. It tastes woody, slightly bitter, and faintly earthy.
What It Is
Pau d'arco comes from the inner bark of a large canopy tree native to South American rainforests. The tree is known for its striking purple blossoms and for a bark so dense that the wood was historically used for tool handles and bows. The name means roughly "bow stick" in Portuguese.
The bark has a long tradition as a brewed tea in folk medicine throughout Central and South America. It has a dry, mildly bitter flavor with warm, woody undertones, closer to tree bark than to anything green or grassy.
What To Do
Simmer one to two tablespoons of bark pieces in four cups of water for fifteen to twenty minutes. Do not just steep it; it needs heat to release what it has. Strain, then drink plain or with honey. The flavor softens a little with lemon. Store the dry bark in a sealed container away from light and heat, where it will keep well for a year or more.
Pau d'arco is almost exclusively a tea herb in home kitchens. A slow simmer on a quiet afternoon is really the whole ritual, which is part of the appeal.
