Guayusa

Intriguing alternative to Yerba, which tends to get bitter if you aren’t scientific about your brewing parameters.

The small dry leaves have a firm earthy aroma which reminds one of a pure lush green forest. The plain brew is also not so different from Yerba, perhaps slightly more amber colored. The taste is definitely more delicate than Yerba, sweeter, without the bitterness.

I personally like to blend these leaves with peppermint, producing and Ecuadorian Mint tea that is most enjoyable – in fact over the last 6 weeks it has become my afternoon tea of choice, especially after a midday meal. This is a tisane worth venturing out for – if Yerba doesn’t do it for you give Guayusa a shot.

So I slept in late, and when I awoke, my order from Harney was on the doorstep. My day was off to a great start, was very excited to get my goodies, I ordered lots of trial sizes, and a tin of guayusa. Given that guayusa is supposed to be well endowed with caffeine, I gave it the honor of first brew. I used 2 tsp in my 1 liter polish pottery teapot. It made a nice color, about the color of strong mint. It has a vegetable scent… kinda grassy, or maybe yard waste— depending on your mood first thing in the morning.

After drinking my cup, and noticing my energy picking up, my words comming a bit faster, I’d conclude it makes a fine first brew. Yes, this stuff has potential. The leaf is tiny, shredded like confetti. It does tend to scatter on the countertop. This tisane also has flavor— and I like it better than chamomile, which I’ve never seen the attraction, but the husband likes chamomile…I associate it with sickness, upset stomach, recovering from the flu, or for people who can’t have caffeine, something you use to make do or otherwise go without…. but I digress… this is guayusa, not lame old chamomile. I am not at all sorry to have bought 4 ounces, it will definitly get used. Taking a liking to it, and Wide Awake Now!

Though, I must tell you, this is my second order from Harney, and it’s great fun to anticipate getting a parcel, and track it’s movements across the country until the day it finally arrives, like being a kid again, counting down the days to my birthday. So I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed. In the first order they threw in a few teabags to sample. But today, all they gave me was one lousy teabag. One. Chamomile. Why did it have to be chamomile? because they can’t sell enough, they have piles of it laying around or something? Underwhelmed. Anticlimactic even. Pooey on your lousy chamomile. Husband can have it, next time he feels sick.

This has become one of my regular morning drinks lately. I first tried it about six months ago when I was looking for something with high caffeine for the mornings which broke out of my usual black teas, and fell in love with the taste. The caffeine buzz was also really nice.

The taste is unique — vegetal of some kind — mostly similar to grass, in my mind. I tried it with stevia once and really disliked that combo — I’m now sticking to the straight tisane with nothing added. The dried leaves are cut/torn into small pieces and are very lightweight, so I am hesitant to use the normal weight in grams for this teapot that I do with black teas — I have found 7-8 grams of these leaves seems to work well with 20 oz of boiling water for 6-7 minutes.

Trying guayusa always feels more like trying a caffeine free herbal by the taste of it, but the buzz says otherwise. Also realizing that this herb is a cousin of yerba mate, it’s shocking how they can be so similar yet have a completely different outward appearance. Yerba mate is bitter and smoky, whereas guayusa is almost completely free of any bitterness or astringency. The taste is very clean and herbal. While it tends more towards earthy and herbal flavors, there is sort of a green tea like sweetness to it (likely because it has theanine). The

I held off rating guayusa because I haven’t tried any other guayusas to compare it to. Flavor-wise, I’d compare it to rooibos, the flavor is non-offensive, but maybe a bit boring to some. The buzz is quite potent, but I’d personally opt for yerba instead.

I guess I keep trying green teas in the hopes I’ll find one I actually like? So far, no go. I will say, though … This one wins the contest for PRETTIEST in the container so far.