Kenyan Purple Leaf Tea

We're excited to share that our purple tea is back in stock!

Purple tea is produced from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, which is the same plant from which black, green, oolong, and other types of tea are made. Unlike other types of tea, however, the leaves of this new varietal are purple instead of green. The tea was first discovered growing wild in the Assam region of India, and is now grown commercially in Kenya, Africa. Purple leaf tea has a similar flavor profile to oolong.

Cups Per Package

This purple leaf tea is carefully blended and packaged by hand in a reusable tin or a resealable kraft bag. Our 2.5 oz. tin or kraft bag makes approximately 30-40 cups of tea. Our 5 oz. kraft bag makes approximately 60-80 cups.

Ingredients

Purple leaf tea (Origin: Kenya)

Tasting Notes

Light and delicate, with floral notes and a clean finish.

How To Brew Kenyan Purple

Use 1 heaping teaspoon per 6 oz. water. Heat water to a full boil (approximately 212 degrees). Steep for 2 to 3 minutes.

We recommend preparing Kenyan Purple using a teapot, tea infuser, or tea filter. These brewing methods give the tea leaves enough room to expand as the tea steeps, resulting in a richer, more flavorful cup.

Kenyan Purple Caffeine Content

Purple tea is low in caffeine.

Kenyan Purple Benefits

Purple tea is high in antioxidants and anthocyanins.

More About Kenyan Purple

While tea has been grown for thousands of years in countries like China and India, purple tea is a relative newcomer to the tea world, having only been discovered a few decades ago. Purple tea has only been available commercially for a few years, and is still a rarity in many tea shops.

Just like other varieties of tea, purple tea is produced from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. Most teas are produced from one of two varietals of the camellia sinensis plant, either camellia sinensis sinensis or camellia sinensis assamica. Black, green, white, oolong, pu-erh, and purple teas all come from the same plant, and vary primarily due to their specific varietal, when and where they are harvested, and how they are processed. While most tea plants produce dark green leaves, purple tea is made from a rare, newly discovered purple-leafed varietal of the tea plant. These plants were found growing wild in the Assam region of India, an area where many other types of tea are commercially grown. Assam is also near the purported birthplace of tea, in the Yunnan province of China.

After their initial discovery, these unique tea plants were later taken to Kenya, where the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya worked to create a cultivar of this wild plant which would be ideal for commercial tea production. The third-largest producer of commercial tea after China and India, Kenya now leads as the largest producer of purple tea. This unique tea thrives when grown at high elevations along the equator, where it receives twelve hours of sunlight a day year-round. Kenya continues to produce a growing amount of purple tea each year, as purple tea becomes more well-known and sought-after by tea connoisseurs and curious consumers alike.

Although purple leaf tea has not been on the market long, its popularity is growing as more people find out about the unique history, flavor profile, and health benefits of the tea. While purple tea is on the rise, many people are still unfamiliar with the properties and benefits that are unique to purple tea. Here at ArtfulTea, we’re pleased to be able to introduce our customers to purple tea and to share our knowledge of this exciting new development in the world of tea!