Walk through the bush on some of the quieter Family Islands and you may catch a warm, spicy scent on the breeze. It’s likely to be cascarilla, a small native tree whose bark has been prized for generations, and which still ends up in drinks and perfumes around the world.
What is cascarilla?
Cascarilla is a small tropical tree that can grow up to 12 metres tall. It’s native to the West Indies, including The Bahamas. It produces small, very fragrant white flowers almost all year round, and its bark is pale yellowish-brown and deeply fissured.
Where cascarilla grows in The Bahamas
Cascarilla grows wild on several Family Islands. Acklins and Crooked Island are best known for it, and the bark has long been harvested there and sold to drinks and fragrance makers overseas. For many families in the southern islands, harvesting cascarilla has been a way to earn extra income.
A long history in traditional medicine
Cascarilla has been used in traditional herbal remedies for centuries, mainly as a bitter tonic to help with digestion. The bark contains volatile oils, a bitter compound called cascarillin, resins and tannins, which give it its distinctive flavour and aroma.
Science has started to catch up with tradition. A 2003 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that cascarilla extract and cascarillin increased stomach acid production in laboratory tests. The researchers described it as a first explanation for cascarilla’s long use as a digestive bitter.
From Bahamian bark to bitters and fine fragrance
Distilled cascarilla oil is pale green to yellow. Its scent is spicy, with cool notes of eucalyptus and nutmeg and warm touches of musk, sandalwood, frankincense and pepper, softening over time into lasting creamy notes. Its fragrance also improves with age for at least 10 years.
Perfumers value it for its strong diffusive power, using it as a trace note that helps a scent carry. It has featured in well-known fragrances, including Chanel’s Coco and scents by Oscar de la Renta. The bark is also used to flavour bitters and aperitifs.
Life on the islands where cascarilla grows
Cascarilla is one small example of what makes the southern Bahamas special: quiet, natural and full of local tradition. If you’ve ever pictured a home or a piece of land there, you can browse property for sale in Acklins and Crooked Island or explore the other islands we cover. Buying from overseas? Our guide to property taxes and closing costs in The Bahamas explains what to expect, and our team is happy to answer any questions.