Quassia Cup Quassia Cup

Quassia wood contains the most bitter-tasting flavor found in nature. Even insects won't bother the tree. So why would anyone want to drink an extract made from Quassia bark? It contains chemicals that soothe the stomach and sharpen the appetite. Today, Quassia is used for organic insecticides and has also been found effective in treatments for leukemia and cancerous tumors. People still drink it in their cocktails, too-it's one of the sources for the mixer "bitters". Quassia is native to the West Indies, where islanders once carved cups from the wood and filled them with water to create a medicinal brew. The cups could be used repeatedly because they never ran out of the extract.

The Field Museum's economic botany collection contains several Quassia cups-and many other plants and plant products that document the cultural uses and origins of beneficial species. Scientists have also used these specimens to help develop strategies for sustainable plant resources.