Kudzu tea drinker remains on the hunt for Oxford Stroud's recipe

Wilcox County novelist Oxford Stroud.

In this space last week, I made mention of Oxford Stroud’s somewhat famous recipe for kudzu tea and talked about how I had never had the pleasure of drinking this unusual beverage.

Many of you in the reading audience will know that Stroud grew up in Camden in the 1930s and 1940s before heading off to fight in World War II. After that, he earned a couple of degrees from Auburn University and eventually went on to teach English there for 30 years. He retired in 1983 and was buried in Camden in March 2002 after his death from melanoma.

Nowadays, Stroud is perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed novels, which were both published after his retirement. His first novel, “Marbles,” was published in 1991 and is said to have been inspired by Stroud’s childhood experiences in Camden. Stroud’s second novel, “To Yield a Dream,” was published three days after he died.

Multiple sources also say that Stroud’s students, far and wide, knew him for his recipe for kudzu tea. For those of you unfamiliar with this beverage, kudzu tea is just what it sounds like. It’s tea made from kudzu, that ubiquitous green invasive vine that covers much of our part of the world. In fact, in some circles, kudzu is known as the “vine that ate the South.”

Stroud apparently had his own special recipe for kudzu tea, and, to date, I’ve never laid eyes on his recipe. As best that I can tell, he had his own special way of preparing this drink, and its consumption by his students must have made quite an impression. Years after his retirement, I still find references to Stroud and his kudzu tea.

Not long after last week’s newspaper hit the streets, Mrs. Traci Flowers of McKenzie presented me with a quart Mason jar of homemade kudzu tea that was prepared by her mother, Mrs. Sandra McInvale, also of McKenzie. Not long ago, I sampled some of Mrs. McInvale’s homemade sassafras tea. It was delicious, and I knew that if her kudzu tea was half as good as her sassafras tea, then I was in for a real treat.

McInvale’s kudzu tea is made from the leaves of the kudzu plant, and she also adds sprigs of mint to the concoction for flavor. To sweeten it up, she also adds a healthy dose of honey. McInvale used mint from her home garden that she keeps planted there because it keeps away ants.

I could hardly wait to sample her kudzu tea, but I put it in my refrigerator at home first to get it good and cold. A couple of hours later, I poured a red Solo cup full and took a big swig. I swished it around in my mouth a bit to get the full effect, and the taste is definitely unique.

Describing exactly how something tastes has never been my strong suit, but believe me when I say that I’ve never tasted anything quite like kudzu tea. I would describe it as having a green, earthy taste, somewhat like cold, but sweetened, pot liquor. I’ve honestly never tasted anything quite like it, and I would have no qualms about drinking it again. In fact, if you’ve never had any, I highly recommend that you try it sometime.

In the end, I really appreciate Traci and Mrs. Sandra taking the time to supply me with a jar of this unique beverage. Kudzu tea is definitely not the sort of thing that you encounter every day, and it was fun to finally sample some for myself. Also, I’m still on the hunt for Stroud’s kudzu tea recipe, so I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has a copy of his famous recipe.