Beyond Coffee: What Tea Styles Come From Africa?
Kenya is the largest tea producer in Africa and the third-largest in the world, ahead of every other African nation. Beyond Kenya, the continent produces a wide range of styles, including Kenyan purple tea, Kenyan black tea processed by the CTC method, Rwandan highland black, green and white teas, Ethiopian tea, South African rooibos and honeybush, and North African mint tea.
Kenya's output also matters to coffee drinkers because the country is a major coffee producing country as well, so its agricultural infrastructure serves both crops. Kenyan purple tea is a cultivar bred by the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya and is high in anthocyanins, the pigments found in acai berries and purple cabbage. Rwandan tea covers about seventy years of cultivation, with seventy-two percent grown at high altitude.
Africa is not only famous for coffee—its tea production is equally noteworthy. Kenya ranks as the world's third-largest tea producer and the country with the highest tea output in Africa. From anthocyanin-rich Kenyan purple tea to South Africa's unique rooibos and honeybush, and from North African mint tea to Ethiopian spiced tea, Africa has given rise to teas of widely varying styles. This article reviews nine teas produced in Africa, introducing their origins, production methods, flavor characteristics, and health benefits, helping coffee lovers expand their understanding of African beverages. Front Street Coffee will also recommend African teas worth trying.
Kenyan Purple Tea Kenyan purple tea is a new type of tea cultivated by the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya. Purple tea is not a specific tea category but a special cultivar that can be made into either green tea or black tea. It appears purple because its leaves contain large amounts of anthocyanins—the same pigments that give fruits and vegetables such as acai berries and purple cabbage their vivid colors. Purple tea's free radical scavenging capacity is quite outstanding, even exceeding that of green tea[2]. Its health benefits include supporting weight loss, protecting the brain against neurodegenerative diseases[3], and possessing anticancer activity. If you want to try something new, you can give African purple tea or Purple Jasmine a shot.
Kenyan Black Tea Kenyan black tea comes in many varieties, most of which are strong, brisk, and smooth—ideal for breakfast tea. Kenya is the world's third-largest tea producer, and much of its tea is processed using the CTC (crush-tear-curl) method, producing small granular pieces. In Kenya, a traditional drink is also chai—made with black tea, milk, and sugar.
Rwandan Tea Rwanda is a rather interesting country in the world of tea. Although small in land area, it produces high-quality highland teas, including black, green, and white teas. Rwanda may be one of the most handcraft-focused tea-producing countries in Africa and is a rising star in tea production. Rwanda's tea-growing history is not long, spanning about seventy years to date[4]. Seventy-two percent of the country's tea is high-grown, yielding teas that are savory, fresh, and complex.
Ethiopian Tea Ethiopia is known for coffee, but it also produces tea of respectable quality. The country's tea production began less than a hundred years ago. Interestingly, tea is not the most important local product, yet tea drinking is very common. Spiced tea is quite popular locally, and it may or may not contain black tea, but it never includes milk or sugar.
Africa is home to two top-tier herbal teas—rooibos and honeybush—both produced in South Africa. Honeybush and honeybush are divided into fermented and unfermented types, also known as red and green.
Red Rooibos Over the past few decades, this herbal beverage grown only in South Africa has won the affection of many enthusiasts worldwide. In fact, about twenty years ago, it was still little known in the United States. Rooibos is often hailed as one of the healthiest herbal beverages in the world, and its color is also extremely beautiful. Red rooibos is rich in antioxidants, caffeine-free, and suitable for people of all ages. Its flavor is rich and earthy, making it suitable for blending with various spices, fruits, flowers, or chocolate. The benefits of rooibos include strengthening the immune system, lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and relieving stress.
Green Rooibos Green rooibos is unfermented fresh rooibos. Like the red variety, it is also made from the plant Aspalathus linearis. Green rooibos typically contains higher levels of antioxidants. You can think of green and red rooibos as caffeine-free herbal versions of green tea and black tea. Both are highly beneficial, but green rooibos may have stronger antioxidant capacity. Green rooibos has a fresher, slightly sweet flavor, sometimes close to green tea. Unlike green tea, it is caffeine-free and will not become bitter even if steeped too long. Green tea and black tea are also great for making iced tea.
Honeybush Tea Honeybush tea looks very similar to rooibos. This South African herbal tea is made from plants of the genus Cyclopia, and its color is browner than rooibos. Its flavor is similar but less earthy and more woody. Honeybush is caffeine-free and may offer various health benefits. Interestingly, like black tea, honeybush also has only a twenty-year history. What are its benefits? Research suggests that honeybush may have anti-inflammatory activity, help protect bones[10], and may also strengthen the immune system, relieve heartburn and nausea, and provide a soothing effect.
North African Mint Tea North African mint tea is an extremely famous tea drink, and we often forget that it also originates from Africa. It can be found in North African countries such as Tunisia, Morocco, and Mauritania. Depending on the customs of different countries, it may also include other ingredients such as pine nuts. This tea is quite sweet and is made with large amounts of fresh mint. However, the green tea used in mint tea comes from China.
Ethiopian Spiced Tea Unlike ordinary spiced tea with black tea and milk, this Ethiopian tea does not include milk. Common ingredients include Ethiopian black tea, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
