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Malawi Coffee Leaf Loose Leaf Herbal Tea

4 reviews
$13.49
$13.49
$0.51 per cup
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Coffee Leaf, also known as Coffee Leaf Tea or Kuti, is a unique infusion made from the leaves of the coffee plant. It’s not tea, and it doesn't taste like coffee.

What is coffee leaf then? A unique and delicious herbal infusion; low in caffeine and packed with antioxidants.

Despite being a herbal infusion this is not caffeine-free.

Tasting Notes

The flavour is closer to a black tea, than to coffee. Coffee leaf “tea” has a gentle sweetness, rich notes of chocolate and vanilla with a smooth mouthfeel and low astringency. The second infusion is more vegetal with a subtle earthiness.

Cost Per Cup

$0.51 per cup based on 3g of tea per 150ml of water and 2 infusions.

Origin

Satemwa Estate, Shire Highlands, Malawi

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🍃 HIGH IMPACT TEA

While all of our teas are the best available from around the world, this tea makes a vital socioeconomic impact on the community that grows and crafts it.

With these high-impact teas, we are shining a light on the people who most need our support.

A prosperous nation like Japan, with a long history and strong domestic market, commands great prices for great tea. Land, labour and expertise are highly valued. Demand for the most famous teas often outstrips supply and buyers compete to get their hands on the best.

For less fortunate economies, where even safe drinking water is not a given, tea is an export. Origins are obscured. Terroirs hidden. If all we are shown is a packet and a brand with no connection to the people and place it comes from, we remain ignorant of its impact.

Many people do not know that much of the tea they drink comes from places like Malawi in East Africa. They are unaware that land, labour and expertise are given little value; that their tea is traded as a commodity by giant multinational agribusinesses, bought for low cost and high quantity over quality; that the farmer has no control of the price. Nor do they know that people in tea communities often do not live beyond their 50s.

It is our business to change that, to establish a value market for their incredible craft and amazing terroirs, much like fine wine.

Recommended Infusion Guide

  • Quantity

    Use 0.2 oz of leaf per 5.5 fl oz of water.

  • Temperature

    For the optimum infusion use 212°F water.

  • Time

    Infuse for 2 minutes, tasting regularly.

  • Infusions

    You can infuse this tea at least twice. With each careful infusion, different subtleties of flavour are revealed.

1 3

More infusion tips

How to infuse your tea is very personal, and these are just our recommendations based on experience. Please experiment with these variables to your heart's delight. These are our recommendations, not hard and fast rules. The most delicious tea is the one you love.

Our guide uses a standard tea cup size (150ml/5.5 oz) as a measure, please adjust the quantity of leaf accordingly for less or more water. Our whole loose leaves are of such a high quality that you can infuse our teas at least twice, and the second infusion is often better than the first, with different flavours revealed as the leaf softens. If you prefer your tea stronger, add more leaf, don’t leave it for longer (this will just make it bitter).

Coffee leaf has been made into a "tea" for hundreds of years in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. It is known there as "kuti" and has a long history as a herbal remedy, as well as being a delicious drink.

Recent research shows it has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and may lower cholesterol due to its high levels of mangiferin. It has lower levels of caffeine than tea, and coffee (where the caffeine is concentrated in the cherry).

Not only does coffee leaf taste wonderful and have great health benefits, but it's also a very sustainable crop.

Satemwa grow both tea and coffee, and they nurture one another.

They use what they prune from the tea bushes to lay around the coffee plants to protect the soil from water evaporation and weeds. The pruned leaves and branches then break down to help fertilise the soil. What is left over from the coffee cherry is made into organic fertiliser to boost the tea.

Coffee Leaf crafted at Satemwa is informed and inspired by their tea making experience. They wither the leaf, to make it softer and more pliable, and then roll it like black tea, to increase oxidation of the oils in the leaf. This minimal processing protects the leaf and creates elegant flavour.

Shipping, delivery & more...

US Shipping Information

US Tracked Delivery from $7

FREE US Tracked Delivery when you spend $50 or more

US Express Tracked Delivery from $8

FREE US Express Tracked Delivery when you spend $100 or more

US Priority Tracked Delivery from $11

US Courier Delivery from $11

Availability of rates depends on location and order weight. For a complete overview of our shipping rates please see our delivery page. Prices displayed at the checkout are based on live currency exchange rates and may differ slightly from the listed price.

Returns

The Rare Tea Lady believes that our teas are some of the greatest in the world, and that our range and service are second to none.

In the isolated case that you are not completely satisfied with any product you purchase from our website, please get in contact with our customer services team to discuss returning your order.*

In most instances, we will give you a full refund of the item's cost, excluding postage. We may ask you to return the item to us.** Customers in the UK & European Union have statutory rights not affected by this guarantee, but any bags of tea must remained sealed for this to be in effect.

*We only accept returns/refunds for tea within 30 days of receipt, because it is impossible for us to know if the tea has been stored correctly.

**We will endeavour to ask for pictures where possible - but if you have changed your mind and are outside of any statutory rights time period, return postage is payable by you.

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