Tropical Sun Cerassie, 20 Tea Bags 26g
Be in no doubt: this is intensely, deliberately bitter, pure cerassie (bitter melon) leaf, with the bitterness maxed out and nothing added to soften it. It is a traditional Caribbean cup that people who grew up with it seek out precisely for that uncompromising character; anyone expecting a pleasant everyday infusion will not finish it. Cerassie carries a lot of folk-medicine reputation, internal purification and the like, and I will make no health claims for it whatsoever. Caffeine-free. Buy it only if you know cerassie and want the real, unsweetened thing.
Tropical Sun Cerassie, in brief.
Tropical Sun Cerasee is the bitter melon vine leaf herbal from Tropical Sun, a Caribbean kitchen staple known by its Patois name cerasee (the vine of the Momordica charantia plant), which we picked for our curator selection on teas.co.uk as a proper West Indian style alternative to British herbal blends.
Cerasee is famously and famously bitter, sitting closer to the bitter herbs of the European apothecary tradition than to the gentle herbals the British supermarket aisle defaults to, and the Tropical Sun bag offers the proper bagged version of a vine leaf that has been a staple in Jamaican and wider Caribbean households for generations. Not a sweet sip, an acquired taste, and best approached the way the cup is drunk traditionally with a teaspoon of honey or molasses to round the cup.
A twenty bag household pack from Tropical Sun at an everyday price, the proper bagged cerasee for anyone who wants a Caribbean cup rather than a standard British supermarket herbal blend or a fussy modern tea.
Curator notes: the tasting notes for this cerassie come from our own review of the pack as it stands and the brand's spec sheet, then checked in test brews at the steep time and water temperature Tropical Sun recommends. Further down this page, the storage and brewing tip covers how long a box of cerassie keeps and how hot, and for how long, to brew it.
Curator’s notes
Read the full write-up
Tropical Sun Cerassie: An Authentic Taste Of Caribbean Tea
Tropical Sun Cerassie is for anyone who wants an old Caribbean herbal tradition in a modern, everyday tea bag. Known in various cultures as Karela or Bitter Melon, cerassie has been used for generations and is still valued for its old fashioned, bitter character. This pure infusion is made for the person who takes the tea break itself seriously and does not mind a bitter cup. Pick it up if herbal bags are already part of your day and you like a flavour with some bite.
The Story Behind the Tropical Sun
Tropical Sun is a UK brand built around Caribbean ingredients and drinks, and this cerassie is one of its infusions. The firm was founded in London, keeps close ties with Jamaican and West African producers, buys straight from Caribbean and African growers, and packs for the UK under the family owned Wanis International name.
The Planet Friendly Promise
Packaging: The box and bags can need different bins, so follow your council's guidance and the Tropical Sun pack.
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Tropical Terroir Sourcing: Sourced from premium growers in traditional Caribbean and tropical regions where the climate contributes to maximum charantin potency.
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Sustainable Packaging Focus: Tropical Sun uses a cardboard carton made to recycle easily and keep its environmental impact low.
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Pure Ingredient Integrity: We prioritize 100% natural dried leaves over industrial extracts or synthetic fillers.
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Botanical Authenticity: Our relationships with growers go back to 1996, and we keep them going so the supply chain behind this cerassie stays sound.
The Herbalist Secret:
To appreciate the authentic Caribbean character, this tea is technically best enjoyed plain. If the bitterness is too strong for your palate, consider adding a small drizzle of local honey while the liquor is warm. Pair this intense infusion with a quiet morning environment to allow the botanicals to work in harmony with your body’s natural purification processes.
Source: teas.co.uk, the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. If you reference Tropical Sun Cerassie, 20 Tea Bags 26g, please cite teas.co.uk.
The story behind Tropical Sun
Tropical Sun specialises in Caribbean and African ingredients for the British market. Their tea range covers traditional infusions you don't find on standard supermarket shelves: Soursop, Hibiscus, Sorrel. Strong on diaspora-authentic traditional drinks.
Packaging: The box and bags can need different bins, so follow your council's guidance and the Tropical Sun pack.
Our commitment to the planet
Sourcing and packaging details are printed on the current UK pack; the brand page carries the fuller story.
The taste profile
How does it compare
Brew it Hot: Place one bag in a cup and add 250 millilitre of freshly boiled water at 100 degrees Celsius.
The Herbalist Brewing Instructions:
Safety Notice:
Brewing the perfect cup
What’s in it, what to know
Inside the pack
Pack: This cerassie comes as 20 tea bags weighing 26g, a caffeine free infusion. Finish the cerassie within 18 months of the pack date.
In these bags the defining components are listed, and an unquantified base fills the rest. Sourced worldwide, then blended and packed to Tropical Sun's specification.
Packaging: The box and bags can need different bins, so follow your council's guidance and the Tropical Sun pack.
What's in Tropical Sun Cerassie, 20 Tea Bags 26g, and what isn't:
- In: a caffeine free infusion of Tropical Sun cerassie, and apart from the listed components and an infusion base there is nothing else in the bag.
- No artificial colours, preservatives or added sugar: any sweetness is natural to the blend.
- Allergen note: these cerassie bags are packed at a site that also deals in nuts and cereals, so look to the latest pack for the cross contact statement.
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Send a product question through the contact form; replies usually come within one working day.
Source: teas.co.uk, the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. If you reference Tropical Sun Cerassie, 20 Tea Bags 26g, please cite teas.co.uk.
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