EITM: Mamajuana 10/19/23

Spanish for mama...juana.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Do you have a pretty good workingknowledge of the Dominican Republic. Yeah.
I've been down there probably well overa dozen times on vacation. Actually,
No, I go down there witha group out of Richmond called World Pediatric
Project. I'm a nurse at theChildren's Hospital of Richmond and we go down
there and do open our surgery onkids. I'm a disc jockey on So

(00:30):
that's true. That's true, dude, that's that's a hell of a job.
Good for you. It's awesome.I wouldn't trade it for all the
money in the world. Well,Bill, I tried. Yeah, but

(00:51):
you get you get to see akid who can't even breathe and can't walk
because his heart's messed up. Andwe've got these crazy gifted surgeons that can
fix these kids' hearts. And aday later, they're pulling us down the
hallway with all their lines and tubesin them because they feel so much better.
That's great. No, that's awesome. That's awesome. I think that's
wonderful. Hey, let me askyou this, let me let me switch

(01:11):
over for a second. Are youfamiliar with a drink called Mama Wana?
Oh? Yeah, what is mamaWana? I don't know exactly what it
is. It's almost like a fermentedkind of has like a mint flavor to

(01:33):
it, but it's boy, it'sgot a blank. Some people will say
it's almost like I guess a lotof people make their own Mama Mama.
I can't even say it bottle drinks. Well, it is in a bottle,
but I don't. I don't thinkyou go to a liquor store and
buy Mama Wana. I think youmake Mama Wana. You can make it.

(01:55):
You can find it in any ofthe little local shops in there.
Everybody sells it. We go tothe this market called uh Negro Madelo or
not Negro Mircado, the black market, and it's a big touristy market,
but it's all over the place inthere, in the little decorative bottles with
palm leave's wope, but that's notbut I've tried it. But is the

(02:16):
and I want to get to thetrying get part. But like just like
when you go to like this marketor whatever. I've never been to the
Dominican Republic the but like when yousay like the market, I'm imagining it's
not like going to Wegman's. It'slike going to like what we what like
here in America what we would calllike a like a farmer's market, you

(02:38):
know, and like a giant fleamarket more or less, right, And
so it's somebody who made it andis selling it there. Yeah, And
what is it? What does ittaste like? I know you said it's
got a little bit of a bite. It's almost it's almost like Jaeger with
an even worse bite. Oh wow, does it get you? Does it

(03:00):
it gets you drunk? No?I didn't drink that much of it.
I tried it. One of thegirls that travels with us is from the
Dominican Republican So I tried it,and uh, that's as far as I
got. What's do you know what'sin it? I honestly do not know
what's what is it? What it'smade of, and how it's fermented,

(03:22):
and what the actual what it isinside of it. But boy, it's
got a bite, That's all Ican tell you. Have you ever tried
to bring it back to the tothe United States of America? Yeah,
I mean we traveled down there forthe past twenty years, and so before
nine to eleven, you could justbring it back in your backpack. And

(03:43):
when we came back, I broughtone bottle back on one trip and I
just put it my my stowed luggageand it made it back by. It
didn't had any problem. Interesting.Interesting, all right, very good,
very good. I appreciate it,Thank you, sir, Thank you.
Line six. Is there tradition surroundingit? I'll find out. Hi,
Yellie at the morning. Yeah,Hi, who's this? Hey, it's

(04:05):
going on? My name is aSirius. You're Dominican, the first I
call it. I am Dominican bornand raised. This sir. Oh,
very good, very nice to talkto you. I appreciate it. Hey,
you're you're familiar with mamajuana. Iam very familiar with mamajuana. Yes,
we've got different kinds. We gotthe original one is made from like
woods, like dry woods or rootsactually, and then we have the sea

(04:30):
kind made out of you know,sea creatures and stuff like fish and shells
and stuff. Okay, Diane justcalled DIBs on the sea kind. What
is what is the well? Youknow what answer Tyler's question is there is
there a tradition to mamajana. Well, originally, you know, like you

(04:54):
said before, you make your home. So people used to go out to
like you know, the fours orthe bushes and collect the leaves and the
ruts and let it dry, putit in a bottle. That what you
prepare is that you put run init, red wine, honey, and
then you just let us sick.You let it marry name, you let
us sit for a long time.You can either drink that and then fill

(05:14):
it with more run, or youcan you know, toss it away,
which I don't what would I tellthe way good alcohol and tell drink it
and then just you know, repeatthe process. So wait a minute.
So you said, like you goout and you get leaves and roots and
things like that, and yeah,the mamajuan originally is made from like different
kind of leaves and dry roots,and you put them all in a bottle

(05:36):
and put run in it and honey, red wine, and just let us
sit. The more you let ussit, the better it gets. And
yes, he has to punch toit. It has a kick to it,
and yes it gets your drunk.It's a little bit sweet. It
depends on some people make it makeit out of flavor like flavor ones.
But yeah, I'll get you.It'll get drunk. But you know what,
that makes sense because I was reading. When I was reading about it,

(05:59):
it got I've never even heard ofit is. They were saying that,
like people will try to bring itback to the States. But if
you bring back like the bottle that'sjust filled with the leaves and the roots,
you can't bring that in because thenit's like bringing in like vegetation.
But if you if you have liquidin there, if you if you put
the rum, the red wine.What was the other thing you said,

(06:20):
honey, if you put all ofthat in there, you can bring it
back, because then you're bringing backa beverage. Oh well, I got
I got four I go I livehere now, but I go back on
forward to the ningropoat every through threeor four months, and I got four
month one as a home. Ihaven't had a niece of bringing it back.
Oh wow, oh good, Hey, what is the And the other

(06:42):
thing I read is that sometimes peoplewill add medicine to it. So I
was reading about one person who whowas and this was just happens to be
the medication they used. But theywould they would spike it. I don't
I don't want to say spike it. That sounds like it's like somebody's spiking
their drink, but like in makingtheir mama mama wana, they would add
viagra to it. Yeah, well, they say, mamajuana itself on its

(07:08):
own. It's it's like a typeof viagara. You know, it's supposed
to when you drink it, you'rean't supposed to give you that you know,
diagrad effect. That's one of thebeliefs some of the people there,
not in the like town, butlike outside the main how can I say,
see this and stuff on the countryside, they believe that mamajuana, you
know, has some kind of medicinalproperties. They use it for different things,

(07:30):
not just aigre, but like theybelieve it curing certain you know,
sickness and stuff like that, hadagsand all of that. What a lot
of beliefs out there. And it'sand it's is it Does it taste good?
It tastes very good on it dependshow you deal with. The sweeter
you make it, the better ittaste. I don't like my drinks too
sweet. I like them to havea kick to it, like rum.

(07:51):
I love room and I just drinkit neat. But you can make it.
You know, depends on how youwant to prepare it. You know,
once you get it done, youcan make it sweet. You can
make another sowe. You can makeit a little bit sour. Some people
put flavoring, like I said,they even put sometimes they even put like
orange oranges and and juices and stuff, just to give it the different flavors
and and all of that makes senseuntil you get me to some people put

(08:15):
seafood in it. Well, notseafood. He's made the ma majuana.
Instead of putting sea like seas andleaves and roots in it, they put
because you know, like like likeuh, like seafood in it, Like
they put strames and and they puta fish and they put what we call

(08:37):
They're like, hey, you canwait, Like what No, No,
it's not it's not bad. It'snot a bad word. It's it's like
like like marine roaches, you know, like roaches from the sea. Uh,
they have this hard shell to themand they put them. Yeah,
you can put lotster in the Yeah, you can put whatever. If it

(08:58):
comes from the sea, you canput in it and the round just like
you do a regular mamajuana and justlet it see it. Letter Marina Okay,
I'm looking at it, no disrespect. I'm looking at a seafood one
that looks gross. Bro Oh mygod, yeah he does. Hey,

(09:18):
thank you so much. I appreciatethe punk. Hey, how'd you end
up in the US? Oh,I've believing in the United States for the
lands for twenty five years. I'vebeen long enforce here for the last eighteen
years. But I go back andforth all the time. Good for you,
Hey, I appreciate it. Thankyou, my friend, Thank you,
sir. Wait, hold on,what are you what are you circling

(09:39):
down there? I'd love I'd loveto try the non shellfish version or sea
version. But see one I madeyours with octopus, Oh squid. Look
at that. The suckers are onthe glass. Disgusting. It was the
nearest surface for them to attach.Wow. And people are being very kind.
A lot of people have it andare offering wait at their house to

(10:00):
bring it in. Yeah. Wait, but I don't know, like they
brought it back from the Dominicans,a mix of those that make their own
or brought it back, and everyonehas a different ailment. They claim it's
for and tennis elbow. Maybe itwould help your migraines. Well, some
did say a rectile difficulties. Theokay that I don't have that. That

(10:22):
is the last thing I have,very perfect. I'll show you that right
now and then we can't like primGood luck with the rest of the show,
Diane, a place to I've hada boter for six hours. Set
your headphones line seven, Hi,Elliet of the morning. Hello, Hello,

(10:46):
Hi, good morning. Hey who'sthis? I am doing great,
Cindy. Have you are you familiarwith Mama Wana? Yes? Third,
I'm Dominican. Oh, hey on, and let me ask you that the
the which do you like the rootand leave kind or do you like the

(11:07):
fish kind? I don't like anywhy nun, I'm not a wrong drinker.
But it sounds like like the honeyin there and the red wine,
like it just sounds like it's allreally fermenting. Right. It's actually quite
nice that one I've had. Sowhen you go to Dominican, depending on

(11:30):
where you go, if you goto a tourist area, they will offer
it to you everywhere you go andthey will try to sell it to you.
If you go to a grocery store, you can just go and get
a bottle empty I've never had issuesbringing it over, like when it's just
a dry roots. Yeah, it'smostly roots, the ones that you find

(11:50):
and they sell it at the store. And what it has been explained to
me, because I don't really drinkit, is that the first time you
put the apple on it, itis very strong and that will tick your
butt, like it's super strong,right, And it has been explain to
me that it's used to make kifromtaste better and the longer you leave it

(12:16):
there, the better it will taste. Can you make it in the US?
Like is there is there something specialabout the roots and the leaves and
stuff in the Dominican as to whyit's like a Dominican drink? Like why
aren't peop Why don't people make MamaWan in the US? I won't wait
that they use very specific roots.I don't know which roots they use,

(12:41):
right, No, I mean thatwould make sense obviously, mm hmm.
I have want in my house.If you want it, I can just
bring it over. She's like ittastes like as I'm not drinking it.
Yeah, you didn't do a greatsales job on it. If I'm being
honest, it's not the it's notthe sea one. I tasted that one
and it tasted like alcohol with shrimpon it. And sorry, I just

(13:05):
quit drink all right, very good, very good, Thank you, ma'am,
thank you, thank you. It'svery interesting. You know what I
like about it. I like thatfor a lot of people, it's like
a like they believe there's a healingpower to it like that that I kind
of like it's a tonic. Yeahthe yeah, yeah, I guess so,

(13:30):
like you know what I mean,Like listen, I like I like
drinking Jack and Cokes, but I'mnot walking around going, oh man,
this cure is everything. I mean, it does I feel good, but
it's not like I'm not telling anybodylike, oh, I have this condition,
but I drink Jack Daniels every dayand it's got a healing power to
it. I'm so pissed I'm readingthrough. Oh I know what I'm just
gonna ask. I know what Iwas gonna ask. If you go to

(13:52):
a restaurant, yeah, and likejust to get it like a dinner right
in the Dominican Well, yeah,of course, if you go to a
restaurant the Dominican. I don't knowany Dominican restaurants I don't mean like Fridays
or Martaritaville, but like if yougo to like a like a seafood restaurant
or steakhouse or something there and theygave you a cocktail list, would there

(14:15):
be Mama Wana like that? Likethe restaurant's version of their own Mama Wana.
Oh, that's what I was goingto say. I'm looking at reviews
of the place where Lindsay and Igot engaged, which was in Pontakna,
and huh, what's wrong? Where'dyou get engaged in the Dominican? Where
did ian Taana? That's what itwas anyway? Yes, yeah, sorry,

(14:50):
And you're looking in Ponta Cana,thank you? And so many people
at the hotel talk about getting offeredMama Wana and the lobby during the games
by the pools as prizes during thenightly events. I don't remember seeing this
at all. Did you go toany nightly events? Yes? Did you

(15:11):
play games by the pool? No? No? No? But is it
like how is it like? Howwho who's wedding? Whose wedding did we
go to in Jamaica? Roach?Oh he got fired the the when when
when we went to his wedding?Yeah? When we checked in. Didn't
they give us like a like arum punch? Probably? Yeah, like

(15:31):
you check in, so when youcheck into a hotel in do they do
they give you a glass? Like? Is that like the welcome drink?
I remember there being champagne? Ohreally, but I don't recall this at
all. They have like shrimp init. They have a tentacle coming out
the flute. We need to trythis. I want to try it.

(15:54):
I want to try I don't wantto try the seafood one. Oh no,
we have to try both. TheI don't It doesn't sound like a
lot of people are running around withthe seafood one. I know, but
that would be Is anybody going tothe Dominican Republic, I wouldn't be surprised.
It's awesome. I won't go,you know that. Oh yeah,
I'll come out and I'll make aright and they're like, whoops, this

(16:15):
doesn't look right? The is anybodygoing? Couldn't they bring us back a
bottle of each? What is that? Is it? Always though? That
red wine, honey and rum.From what I read, it sounds like
that is the like that that hasto be in there and then uh and

(16:37):
then then quid well yeah, ohextra ink please. Hi Ellie in the
morning. Yeah, Hi, who'sthat Jonathan Malan? How you doing?
Hey, I'm doing great? Thankyou? What can I do for you?
Yeah? So I went on athread a trip to the Dominican and

(17:00):
picnic and we got Mama Plana.I got lit all the time that the
whole time I was there. Iloved it. I mean delicious. Uh.
They also say it gives you someuh like a little bit of energy
to so kind of like you know, having red Bulllonte kind of thing and
love that love that oh an aphrodisiac. Well yeah, okay, yeah,

(17:27):
there you go. I highly recommendit. Oh really is it like do
you how do you like when Isay, how do you drink it?
Like? Is it like do youchill it? Is it on ice?
Like? Like? Is it likea cocktail? Is it like a beer?
Wine? It's like wine. Youtake it into the shot and yeah,

(17:48):
I mean I've only had it withthe rob the same table one sounds
awful. Never would try that,but uh yeah it looks like wood chip
summers in the bottle. But youknow, it's really good. But my
tipster actually tried to bring some backthat she bought at a gift shop at
the resort, and they wouldn't lether take it unless there was rum already

(18:10):
in it. Yeah, that's whatI read. That's what I read that
if you, if you, ifyou go there, don't get a bottle
with like just the roots and theleaves, that you have to bring it
back as a beverage because you couldtravel like people people bring back to quila
from Mexico and stuff like that,that you can bring it back as a
liquid. But if you try tobring back just the roots and the leaves

(18:32):
inside of a bottle, then allof a sudden, it's like trying to
fly with like house plants and thatyou can't do. Yeah, exactly.
And luckily the guy at the airportwas so nice. He had some rum
just right under his counter and hefilled it up for and then let her
take it. That's awesome. That'swhat you know what, that's what I
love about TSA. We got wegot liquor right here under the counter.

(18:53):
We'll let it go. Hey,I appreciate the phone call. Thank you,
my friend. Yes, Tyler,more tips coming in. Yeah.
Someone said, add some Irish creamto ito. That's gonna curdle. Well,
maybe not the one with all themolus. Maybe just the traditional red

(19:14):
wine, although and crawfish sounds good. No, hold on, I have
to go to line three. HiJollie in the morning. Hey, good
morning, ran day. What's goingon, dude? Oh? I have
a bottle of that on my bar? Do you really? Yeah? I
got it when I went to adr the Did you like the dr I

(19:37):
didn't really get to do too muchbecause I was on a cruise. Oh,
I got you. That's when Iwent to a monkeyland so I didn't
really get to explore to explore,but I would. I would definitely go
back. Now when you how didyou get it? Like when you want
like, were you on just likean excursion or something and you picked up
a bottle? I was on amonkey landing excursion and they took us to

(19:59):
like a village where they showed cutfresh fruit for you and showed you how
you know, they make their coffeeand everything. So they gave us a
sample to taste and I bought one. Was it? Did you like how
it tasted? Yeah? It was? It was good. It was really
good. I just never opened it. Oh really? Yeah? Did you
have the and yours? I'm assumingwas not the seafood kind. No,

(20:23):
it wasn't the kind with the roots. Yeah, with the roots. Yep.
I don't know if it's still strongor stronger because that was like three
years ago and sunlight. No,no, but the people said the longer
it sits, the better it is. Okay. Yeah, so yeah,
it's been I've never opened it,still stilled. Well, we got to

(20:47):
save now. I feel like wegot to save it for a special occasion,
especially his Yeah, yeah, exactly. Oh you know what, maybe
when General Placy gets engaged. Ohno comment, rand No, sure,
let me know she's in they Ididn't know this news waits But you didn't
know. Oh my god, Randy, General Brandon and Placey are dating.

(21:15):
I did not know. Well Ihad. I kind of had an idea,
but I didn't say anything or soon, so I just left alone.
But they've even had sex alone.I can't picture my girl Placey doing things
like that. So even though shehas his daughter, Dude, I can

(21:36):
tell you stories. But yeah,you always do things in Baltimore and Richmond
that I can't go to. Somaybe the next time you do a local
happy hour, I'll bring you withme. Oh yeah, that would be
good. That would be really good, Randy. I appreciate it. Good
to talk to you, my friend. I was good to talk to you
guys. Bye bye. Thrashing Inwant me to make a batch with seafood

(22:02):
from the wharf for a next tikitakeover? No, you mean like from
Hank's oyster bar? Or do youmean like literally I'm gonna go dip my
arm down off the off the offthe pier and see what I can get.
Well, usually I just take picturesof the boats to send to Elliott.

(22:26):
By the way, two things Ibet, I bet Todd can make
a really good but wanajuana. That'snot it. Manajuana, mamajuana, mamajuana,
yeah, mama juana. Yeah.Because he's Dominican. The no,
I don't even know if he's beenthere, and what else I can't say.

(22:48):
I can't say, but I am. I am a short and curly
close to being able to confirm upanother tea he takeover. I haven't even
told Thrasher about it yet. Ihope he's available. The he will be
for this one. Oh, hewill be. Where am I going?
Line four? I gotta go quickbecause then I got to do the sour
off. Hi Yelli at the morning. Hi Ellie is Chris from Bowie.

(23:11):
Hey Chris, how you doing,dude? Gray? I heard you guys
are talking about Mama Wana. I'vebeen to dr like five times and I'm
going again next week for Halloween.Oh? Is is Halloween like a big
deal? There? Do they dolike Dominican intreat? Like? I don't
know what they would call it?Well, probably, it's just it's just
like a lot of people go downand it's a lot of parties going on.

(23:32):
Oh is it really? Yeah?If I I've had Mama Wana,
have you had both the seafood andthe root? I have the seafood?
Is I've never heard of the seafood, but I've seen like the regular with
the red wine, honey and theroots. I mean they they're always giving
like shots of it. If Ipromise to reimburse you, would you pick

(23:53):
us up a bottle? I justwant a shirt? I mean that's a
hell. I'll give you two shirts. I don't care. Yeah, let's
do that now. The but dowe want both just to try him?
Yeah? Yeah, we definitely haveto do both. Okay, I'll give
you four shirts. I need Ineed a bottle of the seafood Mama Wana

(24:15):
for Diane, and then I needa bottle of the root. See the
root, Mama Wana. Okay,it get like enough for us to try,
you know what I mean, Like, don't get me like a little
airplane bottle. Like let's let's geta bottle, okay, I got you.
Yeah, and wrap it up inthe towel or something. Yeah,
and I'll be more than happy.Yeah, j I c yeah no but'

(24:41):
and I'll definitely I'll definitely hook youup. But if you can get if
you can pick us up a coupleof bottles, I would love that.
Yeah, I can definitely do that. All right, very good. What
are you coming back? I leaveon the twenty four If I come back
the twenty ninth day, Oh yeah, that's perfect, Yeah, very good.

(25:02):
All right, Yeah, I lookforward to it, all right,
gotcha? All right? Be safe, my friend, Thank you? I
will you got it. It's notthat dangerous. Don't go to the right.
Don't go to the right. Itdepends on which way the plane is
oriented. And if he can't findit, Chris from the UK, he's
got it. He's not your averagehookup.