Caribbean

Serving

Fish Tea

Name: Fish Tea
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 2 lbs whole fish or fish heads and bones (snapper or similar), cleaned; 2 green bananas, peeled and sliced; 1 potato, peeled and cubed; 1 chayote (christophene), cubed; 1 onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 scallions, chopped; 1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole; 8 cups water; juice of 1 lime

A light Jamaican fish broth simmered with green bananas and peppers, traditionally served as a starter or hangover cure.

45 minutes

Serves 4

Soup

16 min prep

25 min cook

Contains common allergens

Fish Seafood

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Instructions

8 steps

1
Rinse the fish well and rub with lime juice to remove any strong odor, then rinse again.
2
Place the fish in a large pot with the water, onion, garlic, and thyme, and bring to a boil.
3
Reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the fish falls apart and the broth is well flavored.
4
Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot, picking out and reserving any good pieces of fish flesh, and discard the bones and skin.
5
Return the strained broth to the stove and add the green banana, potato, and chayote.
6
Simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
7
Add the whole scotch bonnet pepper and the reserved fish pieces, and simmer for another 5 minutes, keeping the pepper whole so the soup stays flavorful but not too fiery.
8
Remove the scotch bonnet, stir in the scallions, adjust salt to taste, and serve the broth hot.

Fish Tea — plated and served — Serving moment. How Fish Tea looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

61/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 51

Budget-friendly 84

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 39

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

310

Calories

37 g

Protein

27 g

Carbs

7 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Fish Tea is a Jamaican broth, not a steeped beverage, where the word tea refers to any hot drink-like liquid in island usage. It is traditionally sipped before a meal as an appetizer or sold by the cup at the beach and on weekends, prized as a restorative pick-me-up. The broth is built from whole fish and trimmings simmered with green bananas and Scotch bonnet until it turns into a clear, peppery sipping soup.

Listahan note

This version builds the broth before the fish goes in, simmering seasonings, peppers, and green bananas first so the liquid is fully flavored by the time the delicate fish poaches in it.

Technique cues

Building the seasoned vegetable broth first and adding fish last protects the delicate flesh, which only needs a few minutes to cook and falls apart if boiled hard.
Green bananas are simmered in their broth to release starch that lightly bodies the tea without thickening it into a stew.
A whole Scotch bonnet dropped in unbroken perfumes the broth with heat and aroma, and pulling it before it bursts keeps the spice from turning overwhelming.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Peel and chop the green bananas and ready the fish while the seasoned water comes to a boil.
Make-ahead: Simmer the vegetable broth ahead and refrigerate, then bring back to a boil and poach the fish fresh just before serving.
Leftover move: Strain leftover broth and use it as a peppery base for a quick rice or noodle soup the next day.
Cleanup rhythm: Skim and strain the pot while warm so fish scum and bones lift out before they settle and stick.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Fish

Broth base and protein

Purpose: Whole fish and bones give the tea its savory depth and clean ocean flavor.

Handling: Use a firm white fish and add it late so it poaches gently rather than disintegrating.

Adaptation: Snapper, sea bass, or even a fish-head pack work; oily fish like mackerel muddy the clear broth.

green bananas

Starchy body

Purpose: Their starch lightly thickens the broth and adds the firm, savory bite typical of the dish.

Handling: Peel under running water and add early so they soften through in the simmer.

Adaptation: Green plantain or yam stands in, though plantain stays firmer and yam thickens the tea more.

peppers

Aromatic heat

Purpose: Scotch bonnet gives the tea its signature warming pepper character without scorching it.

Handling: Drop in whole and unbroken, then fish it out once the broth tastes warm enough.

Adaptation: Habanero matches the heat and fruitiness; a milder cubanelle keeps the aroma but loses the kick.

seasonings

Broth aromatics

Purpose: Thyme, scallion, garlic, and pimento are what turn plain water into the savory base the fish poaches in.

Handling: Simmer them in the water first so the broth is fully flavored before the delicate fish goes in.

Adaptation: A bundle of fresh thyme and scallion covers the essentials; dried thyme works but tastes less green.

Technique notes

Keep the broth at a bare simmer once the fish goes in, since a rolling boil shreds the flesh and clouds the tea.
Taste before adding the whole pepper, then remove it the moment the heat reaches your level so it does not run away.
Finish with a splash of fresh lime or a few thyme sprigs off the heat to brighten the long-simmered broth.

Ingredient swaps

Seafood-free direction: Swap the fish for a hearty vegetable and pumpkin base to keep the green-banana broth, though it loses the briny backbone that defines fish tea.
Lower-sodium direction: Build the broth on unsalted aromatics and fresh thyme and season at the end, since the natural fish flavor needs less added salt.
Milder direction: Use half a Scotch bonnet or a sweet pepper for aroma without heat, trading the signature warming burn for gentleness.

Serve alongside

Hard dough bread
Boiled dumplings
Bammy
Festival
Fresh lime water
Ginger beer
Cold coconut water

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate the broth and fish separately for up to 2 days so the fish does not overcook on reheating.
Reheat gently to a bare simmer and slip the fish back in for the last minute only.
Freeze the strained broth alone for up to 2 months and poach fresh fish when you reheat it.

Equipment

Large soup pot
Fine skimmer
Ladle
Fine strainer

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