Traditional Jamaican Fish Tea Recipe

Jamaican fish tea is one of the healthiest soup-based recipes in the Caribbean. It is flavorful, and I promise that you’ll enjoy and love how simple this dish can be.

Today, I am sharing my granny’s recipe for her famous fish tea. She would make a batch of this and store it in the fridge. It was there in case anyone had a cold or fever. In the USA, you guys ate chicken noodle soup when you were sick. In Jamaica, we had Fish tea.

The broth is so thin and light that it is not technically a soup. This recipe uses a whole snapper to ensure you get the richest broth possible, inspired by how my family always taught me to honour every part of the fish. Fun Fact: This was one of Bob Marley’s favorite foods.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You’ll love this recipe because it achieves something truly special: it’s both light and incredibly flavourful. It’s what we call a “reviver.”

• Best Jamaican fish tea recipe: The secret is using the whole fish; the head and bones are the best part. It keeps your broth deep and rich.
• A Light but Hearty Meal: This is not your regular red pea or chicken soup. The tea is easy to drink. I love to eat the ground provisions and dumplings first, then drink the tea.
• Substitutions & Serving: Honestly, I prefer to add yams and green figs, but you can skip them if you want something light. Whenever I am making the dish, I want to feel full afterward.

Quick Facts: The ‘Tea’ & The Benefits

Why is it called Fish Tea? It’s called ‘tea’ because the broth is traditionally very thin, light, and clear, unlike thicker, more robust Caribbean soups. So you can sip it.

What does Fish Tea taste like? It tastes bright, aromatic, and spicy. The flavor has fresh fish, allspice (pimento), thyme, scallion, and the heat from the Scotch Bonnet pepper.

Is Fish Tea good for you? Yes! Its fish tea is an excellent source of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. To me, it is somewhat of a bone broth with vegetables. In Jamaica, it is a traditional remedy for building strength and stamina.

What is the best fish to make Jamaican Fish Tea? I use Snapper because it is bony and flavourful. Doctor Fish is another popular choice.

Ingerdients

• 1.5 – 2 lbs Whole Snapper (or a few fish heads), cleaned with head and tail on
• 8 cups of Water
• 4 cloves Garlic, smashed
• 10 Pimento Berries (Allspice)
• 2 sprigs Scallion (1 for boiling, 1 for adding later)
• 1 tsp Salt (or to taste)

Ground Provisions & Vegetables

• 1/2 lb Yellow Yam, peeled and diced (kept in water)
• 1 medium Chocho (Christophine), peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 small Green Banana, peeled and sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup Jamaican Pumpkin (West Indian), peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 medium Carrot, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup Okra, sliced (added at the very end)

Seasonings

• 4 sprigs Thyme
• 1/2 cup Dumplings (flour and water ‘spinners’
• 1 packet Grace Fish Tea or Cock Soup Mix (strained for seasoning only—no noodles)
• 1 whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper (do not cut, unless you want fire)
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Instructions

I always start with the broth first, so in a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the whole, cleaned fish, the initial chopped scallion, smashed garlic, and pimento berries. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. This part is exciting because I can already smell the flavor.

Gently remove the fish from the broth and set it aside to cool. Do not pour out the liquid! Once the fish is cool enough to handle, meticulously debone it, discarding all the bones and skin. You need to be thorough here because of all those tiny snapper bones. Flake the cooked fish flesh and set it aside for later.

Bring the clear fish broth back to a simmer. Add the hardiest ground provisions first: the diced yams, green banana, pumpkin chunks, and dumplings. Allow this to cook for about 10-15 minutes until the yam and pumpkin are about halfway softened.

Now, add the carrots, chocho, and the sprigs of thyme. Grab your packet of fish tea mix. My go-to is Grace Fish tea. Strain it to separate the seasoning powder from the dried noodles, and only add the powder to the pot. We’re going for a thin broth, remember? If the liquid looks too low, add a little more water.

Let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes, making sure the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape (we don’t want them to mash out too much). Add the whole Scotch Bonnet pepper now for flavour, but please resist the urge to pierce it!

Tip: For a creamier texture and a richer flavour, stir in 1/4 cup of coconut milk right before adding the okra.

Stir in the sliced okra and the flaked fish flesh you set aside earlier. The okra only needs a few seconds to cook. Taste, and adjust the salt and pepper. You might need to add just a little regular salt to bring the flavour up.

Leftovers & Storage

Fish tea lasts long in my home because if I am out, I make more. Just the way my grany used to do it.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Expect the ground provisions (especially the dumplings and yams) to absorb some of the liquid, making the soup slightly thicker. It’s still delicious, but it won’t be as thin as the original ‘tea.’

Reheat gently on the stovetop. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water to loosen it up and restore the ‘tea’ consistency.

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a bowl of this fish tea whenever you are feeling sick. When I am sick, I usually have no appetite, so this is the only thing I’ll eat.

I can’t wait for you to try this easy Jamaican fish tea recipe. Tell me, what’s your favourite way to enjoy a true Caribbean soup, with or without the dumplings?

More Jamaican Recipes

• Tasty Jamaican Coconut Curry Fish
• Tasty Salted Mackerel Run Down Or Run Dung Recipe
• Delicious Jamaican Ackee And Corned Pork Recipe

Traditional Jamaican Fish Tea Recipe

Recipe by Ren PetersCourse: Soups, TeaCuisine: JamaicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6-8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

250

kcal

Jamaican Fish Tea is a light, nourishing broth is a Caribbean classic — more “tea” than soup, yet deeply satisfying.

Ingredients

• 1.5 – 2 lbs Whole Snapper (or a few fish heads), cleaned with head and tail on

• 8 cups of Water

• 4 cloves Garlic, smashed

• 10 Pimento Berries (Allspice)

• 2 sprigs Scallion (1 for boiling, 1 for adding later)

• 1 tsp Salt (or to taste)

• Ground Provisions & Vegetables

• 1/2 lb Yellow Yam, peeled and diced (kept in water)

• 1 medium Chocho (Christophine), peeled, cored, and diced

• 1 small Green Banana, peeled and sliced (optional)

• 1/2 cup Jamaican Pumpkin (West Indian), peeled and cut into large chunks

• 1 medium Carrot, cut into chunks

• 1/2 cup Okra, sliced (added at the very end)

• Seasonings

• 4 sprigs Thyme

• 1/2 cup Dumplings (flour and water ‘spinners’

• 1 packet Grace Fish Tea or Cock Soup Mix (strained for seasoning only—no noodles)

• 1 whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper (do not cut, unless you want fire)

• Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Directions

• always start with the broth first, so in a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the whole, cleaned fish, the initial chopped scallion, smashed garlic, and pimento berries. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. This part is exciting because I can already smell the flavor.
• Gently remove the fish from the broth and set it aside to cool. Do not pour out the liquid! Once the fish is cool enough to handle, meticulously debone it, discarding all the bones and skin. You need to be thorough here because of all those tiny snapper bones. Flake the cooked fish flesh and set it aside for later.
• Bring the clear fish broth back to a simmer. Add the hardiest ground provisions first: the diced yams, green banana, pumpkin chunks, and dumplings. Allow this to cook for about 10-15 minutes until the yam and pumpkin are about halfway softened.
• Now, add the carrots, chocho, and the sprigs of thyme. Grab your packet of fish tea mix. My go-to is Grace Fish tea. Strain it to separate the seasoning powder from the dried noodles, and only add the powder to the pot. We’re going for a thin broth, remember? If the liquid looks too low, add a little more water.
• Let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes, making sure the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape (we don’t want them to mash out too much). Add the whole Scotch Bonnet pepper now for flavour, but please resist the urge to pierce it!
• Tip: For a creamier texture and a richer flavour, stir in 1/4 cup of coconut milk right before adding the okra.
• Stir in the sliced okra and the flaked fish flesh you set aside earlier. The okra only needs a few seconds to cook. Taste, and adjust the salt and pepper. You might need to add just a little regular salt to bring the flavour up.