It’s rare to visit a Jamaican household – whether at home or abroad – and not see a bottle of rum nearby. Whether it’s Bay rum, Wray & Nephew white overproof rum, or any rum from the Appleton Estate, Jamaicans swear by this distilled alcoholic drink as a crucial ingredient in drinks and desserts, a marinade for meats, and even as a healing remedy for almost anything; think the flu, asthma, or a simple headache. In Jamaican culture, the rum bar is the epicentre for the camaraderie usually accompanied with drinking, from domino playing to endless storytelling.
Rum has been a staple in the West Indies since at least the seventeenth century – emerging during slave-era sugar production from the addition of yeast to the molasses residue. It was especially marketable in the New England region of North America; the “spirit of ‘76” so saturating American culture that former president George Washington demanded it at his inauguration.
From those beginnings, rum became indelibly grained in Jamaican history and culture. Here are five ways rum can be used other than for drinking and blending delicious cocktails:
- To reduce fever – If you or someone you know has a fever, simply saturate a clean rag in rum and place the rag on the forehead. The rum’s rapid evaporation lowers skin temperature and can help to alleviate discomfort. It’s important to note, however, that using rum to reduce fever works only if it’s applied topically. Drinking rum with a fever is a bad idea. Alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration, making the fever worse. Save the libations for when you (or the person with fever) are fully recuperated.
- Soothing a sore throat – The cooler temperatures characteristic of the latter months of the year mean easy transmission of cold and flu viruses. If you find yourself with a sore throat this holiday season, a little honey, lime juice, ginger, and yes, rum can help ease the pain. Half fill a small cup with equal parts of each component and take the mixture in spoonfuls. Take it before bed – because it’ll knock you out – and you’ll wake up feeling completely different (without the hangover).
- Baking Christmas cake – NoCaribbean Christmas is complete without the ubiquitous, boozy Christmas cake.Preparation of this festive staple begins three to six months ahead of Christmas day, where cherries, currants, prunes, raisins and orange peels are soaked in wine and, you guessed it…rum, in airtight jars. This makes the fruit sufficiently saturated for the cake, giving it its rich, distinctive taste. The soaked fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg and browning (burnt sugar) are added to sifted flour to make the cake batter right before it goes into the oven.
- Preservation of food and drinks – Rum is also used to preserve drinks such as sorrel, another Christmastime favourite. Like Christmas cake, sorrel is also made well in advance of Christmas day. Boiling water is poured over sorrel blooms, grated ginger, cloves and pimento. The mixture is sweetened with sugar and flavoured with rum or wine after at least four hours. Sorrel is then enjoyed on Christmas Day and beyond, depending on how much of the drink there is left! Adding rum preserves the drink for up to a year. Rum poured over cakes can extend its shelf life by several weeks.
- To ward off spirits (duppy) – Rum, particularly white rum, is a facet of Jamaican spirituality and a sworn tool in warding off evil. If you move into a new house, it’s essential that you “flash out” all the rooms with white rum and pray. This will dispel any and all evil spirits who may have been occupying the space before you and in turn, summon “good” ancestral spirits and energies. Had a nightmare in your new house? Tip some Whites into your bathwater the morning after and pray over it before you bathe (it’s important to make sure there are no open flames in your bathroom before you do this). A handful of salt can be added to the water for good measure, but don’t allow the salt to spill!
Even if you’re not a drinker, there are many ways you can incorporate rum into your life, and there are many ways rum can enhance your life. May you be healthy, and may no spirits be with you!