OUR STORY
The Calabash Tea & Tonic brand was created by fifth-generation master herbalist Sunyatta Amen
WHAT THE HECK IS A CALABASH ANYWAY?
A Calabash is a hanging gooseneck gourd (think sexier butternut squash). Wherever calabashes are found in the world, they're a sign of god fortune. Why? Because they are thought of as 'everything you need to live'.
Founded in 2009, our mission is to returning modern people to everything they need to thrive. Indigneous ways of healing mind, body and spirit. Calabash is DC's first and only Black-owned teahouse and retailers. We have been voted Washington City Paper's Best of DC 2010-2021 as well as Yelp and Google's highest rated business in the DMV for more than 10 years.
Our Founder
Calabash's 5th generation Master Herbalist and resident Naturopath, Sunyatta Amen, was born to Syrian-Jamaican and Native American parents. She grew up behind the counter of Black Pyramid and Tree of Life, her parents' healthfood and herbal stores in Harlem. After spending decades under the tutelage of both her herbalist great-grandmothers among other shaman, returning modern people to indigenous medicine became her passion.
She founded Calabash, the multi-award winning wellness brand, in 2012 as a continuation of her fore-parents' wellness work and their business activism.
Dr. Sunyatta's epynomous radio show ran Pacifica Networks for 20 years. She also served as the resident wellness correspondent for ABC Radio Networks for 6 years. She has since shifed to TV and is a a frequent contributor FOX 5 Morning News and The ABC 7 Morning Show.
She is the host of Maroon's Medicine Chest on the Knarrative Network and is a weekly correspondent on the Karen Hunter Show on SiriusXM. Sunyatta is a frequent guest expert on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, and The Smithsonian Channel. Over the past 2 years she has been spotlighted by The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Discovery Channel, Thrillist, Eater, Marie Claire, Essence.