Quassia Chips

(Quassia amara)

Quassia amara — Bitter Wood, Amargo, or Quassia — is a small tropical tree or shrub of the family Simaroubaceae native to the Caribbean islands, Central America, and northern South America, particularly Suriname, Guyana, Brazil, Panama, and the Lesser Antilles. The genus Quassia is named in honor of Graman Quassi — an enslaved man from Suriname who, in the 18th century, discovered and shared the medicinal properties of the plant’s bark and wood with European naturalists, and who was eventually granted his freedom in recognition of this contribution. The wood of Quassia amara is one of the most intensely bitter substances known in the plant kingdom — its bitterness is so extreme and so pure that it has been used as a reference standard for bitterness in scientific research, and it is listed as a flavoring agent by the FDA and used in the food and beverage industry as a bittering agent in aperitifs, bitters, and tonics. The pale, cream-colored wood chips — with their characteristic intensely bitter taste — are the primary form in which quassia is used in herbal preparations and culinary applications.

The wood is exceptionally rich in quassinoids — a class of highly oxygenated, intensely bitter terpenoid compounds unique to the Simaroubaceae family — including quassin (the primary quassinoid, one of the most bitter naturally occurring compounds known), neoquassin, 18-hydroxyquassin, quassimarin, simalikalactone D, picrasin, ailanthone, and related compounds, along with beta-carboline alkaloids (including 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline), flavonoids, tannins, and plant acids. Available in Chip form.

Product Highlights

• Wood chips of Quassia amara — Quassia / Bitter Wood / Amargo
• Native to the Caribbean islands and northern South America — a cornerstone of Caribbean traditional botanical practice
• Named for Graman Quassi — an 18th-century Surinamese man whose knowledge of this plant earned him his freedom
• One of the most intensely bitter substances in the plant kingdom — used as a bitterness reference standard in scientific research
• Exceptionally rich in quassin and neoquassin — the characteristic quassinoid compounds of Quassia amara
• Listed as a flavoring agent by the FDA — used in aperitifs, bitters, and tonic beverages
• Available in Chip form

How to Use

Cold Infusion (Traditional): Soak 1–2 teaspoons of quassia chips in 8 oz of cold water overnight; strain and use the intensely bitter infusion as desired. The cold infusion method extracts the bitter quassinoids without heat. Herbal Tea (Decoction): Simmer chips in water for 15–20 minutes; strain. Use in very small amounts — the bitterness is extremely intense. Bitters & Aperitifs: A traditional bittering agent for homemade digestive bitters, aperitifs, and tonic preparations — use sparingly. Brewing: Used as a bittering agent in traditional herbal and botanical brewing.

Available in Chips (4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz).

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before use if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition. Not recommended during pregnancy. Use in small amounts only — quassinoids are potent compounds. Keep out of reach of children.