Cuachalalate Bark: What It Is, How It's Simmered, and Its English Name

By Suhail Rivera, JD, founder of Alkaline Herb Shop

Cuachalalate is the bark of a Mexican tree, sold in rough reddish pieces and simmered into a dark, bitter tea. It is one of the best known barks in Mexican herbal tradition and one of the least known outside it, which is why so many people arrive at the name without knowing how to say it or what to do with it. Here is what the tree is, what the bark is, how it is actually prepared, what it tastes like, and what its name means in English.

The tree and the bark

Cuachalalate is Amphipterygium adstringens, a small deciduous tree native to the dry forests of central and southern Mexico. The part used is the bark, stripped from the trunk and dried into flat, curling pieces that run from grey brown on the outside to a rusty red inside. The species name, adstringens, is a fair warning about the flavor.

The name comes from Nahuatl, and you will see it written cuachalala, cuachalalate and cuachalalá. In herb shops across Mexico it is simply corteza de cuachalalate, cuachalalate bark, and it is usually sold in chunks rather than powdered.

Cuachalalate in English

There is no common English name. Unlike gordolobo, which becomes mullein, or zarzaparrilla, which becomes sarsaparilla, cuachalalate never picked up an English equivalent, so English speakers use the Spanish word. Occasionally you will see it described as Mexican bark tea, but that is a description rather than a name. If you are looking for it in English, cuachalalate is the word to search.

How to make cuachalalate tea

Bark does not steep. It has to be simmered, which herbalists call a decoction, because hot water poured over a piece of hard bark barely touches it.

The common approach is a small piece of bark, roughly a tablespoon of broken chips, per two cups of water. Bring it to a boil, drop it to a low simmer, cover, and hold it there for fifteen to twenty minutes. Some households simmer it far longer and top the pot up through the day. Strain before drinking. The liquid comes out reddish brown and deepens the longer you go.

Many people brew a pot in the morning, keep it in the refrigerator, and drink it cool. It holds for two or three days that way.

What does cuachalalate taste like?

Bitter and drying, with a woody edge. Astringent is the honest word, and it is the same mouth drying quality you get from strong black tea or red wine, only more so. It is not a gentle herbal cup and it does not pretend to be.

A short simmer gives a much milder result than a long one, so start short. Honey helps, and so does a squeeze of lime. Some people blend it with a sweeter bark or root, and our cocolmeca shelf mates well with it if you like that family of flavors.

What cuachalalate is used for

It has a long history in Mexican herbal practice, and that history is genuine and easy to document. What we are not going to do is turn it into a promise. Traditional use tells you how people have used a plant, not that the plant does anything, and the human research on cuachalalate is limited. So we will not tell you it treats, heals, cleanses or supports anything. We sell it as what it is: a traditional bark, sold as a food, for making tea.

Where to get cuachalalate bark

We sell Cuachalalate Bark, 4 oz, one ingredient and nothing added, for tea. Bark keeps extremely well, better than leaf does, so a four ounce bag lasts a long time in a sealed jar away from light. Whether you grew up with this tea or are meeting it for the first time, it is a simple thing to keep on the shelf. There is a Spanish guide at para qué sirve el cuachalalate.

Who should ask first

• Anyone pregnant or nursing should talk to a doctor before drinking cuachalalate.
• Anyone taking medication or managing a health condition should ask a doctor or pharmacist first. Strong bark decoctions are not a casual addition to a day.
• Start with a short simmer and a small cup. More is not better with bitter barks, and a long boiled pot is a much stronger drink than a fifteen minute one.

Suhail Rivera, JD, is the founder of Alkaline Herb Shop. She has spent years sourcing, handling, and selling the herbs she writes about, working directly with growers and third party testing labs. She holds a Juris Doctor. She is not a medical professional, and her articles are for general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any herb, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition. Read more about her and the store on the About page.