Tea Blog

For many people, the question is simple: tea or coffee?

For many people, the question is simple: tea or out to be both—or at least something that borrows a little from each?

At first glance, the idea of combining tea and coffee into a single beverage may sound less than appealing. Fortunately, that’s not what we’re talking about here.

Instead, researchers and beverage enthusiasts have explored a much more intriguing possibility: an herbal infusion made not from coffee beans, but from the leaves of the coffee plant.

It may sound unconventional, but coffee leaf tea has a surprisingly long history and is already enjoyed in several parts of the world.

What Is Coffee Leaf Tea?

Coffee leaf tea is an herbal infusion made from the leaves of the coffee plant rather than its beans.

Like traditional herbal tisanes, it is prepared by steeping dried leaves in hot water.

Because it does not come from the Camellia sinensis plant, coffee leaf tea is not technically “tea” in the traditional sense. However, neither are popular infusions such as chamomile, peppermint, rooibos, or hibiscus, and they are commonly grouped within the broader tea category.

The concept may seem unusual to modern consumers, but many cultures have been preparing beverages from coffee leaves for generations.

A Beverage with Historical Roots

One of the most surprising aspects of coffee leaf tea is that it is not a modern invention.

Historical records indicate that beverages made from coffee leaves have been consumed in regions including:

• Ethiopia
• Indonesia
• South Sudan
• Parts of East Africa

In some communities, coffee leaf infusions were prepared long before modern specialty coffee culture emerged.

The practice simply never achieved the same global prominence as beverages made from roasted coffee beans.

As interest in alternative teas and herbal infusions has grown, however, coffee leaves have begun attracting renewed attention.

Why Researchers Became Interested

Researchers have examined coffee leaf tea for several reasons.

Among the areas of interest are:

• Caffeine content
• Antioxidant compounds
• Sustainability opportunities
• Potential agricultural benefits

Because coffee plants produce leaves continuously, some observers have suggested that coffee leaf tea could offer growers an additional source of income without requiring new crops or major changes to cultivation practices.

At the same time, scientists have explored the unique chemical profile of the leaves to better understand how they compare with coffee beans and traditional tea leaves.

How Does Coffee Leaf Tea Taste?

This may be the first question most tea drinkers and coffee lovers ask.

Interestingly, coffee leaf tea generally tastes neither like coffee nor like traditional tea.

Descriptions vary, but many people report flavor notes such as:

• Light herbal character
• Soft sweetness
• Mild earthy notes
• Subtle grassy qualities
• Hints of dried fruit

The flavor profile depends on factors such as plant variety, processing methods, drying techniques, and brewing parameters.

Those expecting a cup that resembles brewed coffee may be surprised by how delicate and tea-like the beverage can be.

The Victorian Connection

Perhaps one of the most fascinating chapters in the story of coffee leaf tea involves nineteenth-century Britain.

During the height of the British Empire, considerable experimentation took place involving imported crops, beverages, and agricultural products.

Tea merchants, botanists, and traders routinely evaluated new possibilities for cultivation and consumption.

Amid this atmosphere of experimentation, attempts were reportedly made to introduce coffee leaf infusions to a wider audience.

Like many promising ideas of the era, however, the beverage failed to achieve widespread popularity and was largely forgotten outside the regions where it remained part of local tradition.

Would Coffee Drinkers Enjoy It?

Possibly—but perhaps not for the reasons they expect.

Coffee leaf tea does not deliver the same intense flavor, aroma, or caffeine experience associated with roasted coffee beans.

Someone seeking a direct substitute for morning coffee may find it too subtle.

On the other hand, coffee enthusiasts interested in exploring different aspects of the coffee plant may find it fascinating.

It offers a completely different perspective on a plant that most people know only through its beans.

Why Tea Drinkers Might Be Interested

Tea enthusiasts are often among the most adventurous beverage explorers.

Anyone who enjoys trying unusual infusions, herbal blends, and international tea traditions may appreciate coffee leaf tea for its novelty and history.

It fits comfortably alongside other unconventional infusions such as:

• Rooibos
• Honeybush
• Yerba mate
• Lemon verbena
• Chamomile
• Hibiscus

For tea lovers, coffee leaf tea expands the already vast universe of brewed beverages without requiring them to abandon familiar tea rituals.

The Bottom Line

Coffee leaf tea may sound unusual at first, but it has a long history, a growing reputation, and an intriguing place somewhere between the worlds of tea and coffee.

While it lacks the bold flavor of coffee and does not qualify as true tea, it offers something valuable in its own right: a unique herbal infusion with centuries of tradition behind it.

Whether it eventually becomes a mainstream beverage remains to be seen. But for curious tea drinkers and adventurous coffee enthusiasts, coffee leaf tea is certainly worth exploring.

After all, the next great cup may not come from a new tea plant or a new coffee bean—it might come from a familiar plant viewed in an entirely new way.

See more of Elise Nuding’s articles in this archive of tea commentary, tea culture, and beverage history articles.

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