Black Drink: A Native American TeaCharles M. Hudson Until its use declined in the nineteenth century, Indians of the southeastern United States were devoted to a caffeinated beverage commonly known as black drink. Brewed from the parched leaves of the yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), black drink was used socially and ceremonially. In certain ritual purification rites, Indians would regurgitate after drinking the tea. This study details botanical, clinical, spiritual, historical, and material aspects of black drink, including its importance not only to Native Americans, but also to many of their European-American contemporaries. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
aboriginal Adair Alabama Apalachee Asian tea ballgame beverage black drink black drink ceremony boiled Bossu Botany brewing buds burial mounds busk C. B. Moore Cabeça de Vaca caffeine cassina century Cherokee Chickasaw Chitimacha chocolate Choctaws coastal coffee conch shell culture dahoon decoction drank black drinking black drink drunk early eastern United emetic employed black drink European evidence fascicle flowers fruit Gatschet Georgia glyph Green Corn Ceremonialism History holly Hopewellian Hopewellian complex Ilex cassine Ilex vomitoria Ilex vomitoria Ait Indian groups John Journal leaves Louisiana maté medicine Mesoamerica Mesoamerican Milfort Mississippian motif Museum North Carolina Oklahoma parched plant pottery prehistoric prepared pyrene religious reported River Seminole shell cups shoot Smithsonian Institution social South Southeast southeastern Indians southeastern tribes Southern Cult Spanish species of Ilex specimens Spiro Spiro Mound Swan Swanton symbols Taitt Timucua tion tobacco trade Travels University vessels vomiting Washington William Bartram yaupon tea Yent