Former POTUS, Barack Obama, and current UK prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, trace their roots to an East African country, Kenya.
It’s also home to world-renowned athletes, including the current world’s greatest marathoner, Eliud Kipchoge.
And the best safari destination in the world. Known also for specialty coffees.
But the icing on the cake is….the tea!
As a Kenyan who loves Kenyan tea, let me share 8 facts about Kenya traditional teas. Enjoy!
By Lilian.
4 Facts About Kenyan Black Tea
95.3% of Kenyans Drink Tea
Unlike in the US where there’s a coffee-drinking culture, Kenya has a tea-drinking culture.
Fortunately, as Wikipedia puts it, most of the tea produced in Kenya is black tea.
Researchers from the Catholic University of East Africa found that 95.3% of Kenyans are tea drinkers.
76.3% take 1-3 cups of black tea every day.
Kenya is the Leading Bulk Black Tea Exporter
Kenya takes the lead on the list of bulk black tea exporters around the world.
According to Tridge, a global statistics source, in 2021, Kenya exported tea worth $1.1 Billion, followed at a distance by Sri Lanka at $719.5 Million.
Tea is Harvested Year-round and by Hand
Around the tea growing areas, you’ll find farmers carrying baskets on their back handpicking tea.
Brendan Bwaye, a well-traveled Canadian tea expert, and founder of teaguy.com mentions that unlike in other countries where tea harvesting is seasonal, in Kenya, tea picking is a year-round activity.
Handpicking ensures they only pick the best leaves.
They call it “meeri na mururi”, translated as “at least two leaves, part of the stem and the tip/bud”.
Kenya Has Ideal Climate for Tea
Kenya enjoys a tropical climate – one that’s relatively hot all year round (above 64.4°F in the coolest month) and a lot of rainfall.
The red soils are very fertile and loaded with mineral content that boosts the growth of tea bushes.
What’s more, as a Kenyan native, I can confirm that our tea is grown on ridges with high altitudes, above 8,000ft.
According to Elizabeth, the founder of Steep and Spice, tea grown on high altitudes tends to have higher antioxidant levels.
Now, does drinking Kenyan tea have any benefits? Read on!
3 Facts About Kenya Tea Benefits to Keep You Thinking
It’s Rich in Antioxidants
Kenyan tea grows in the highlands. Tea grown in high altitude levels has high antioxidant levels compared to low altitude teas.
According to Autumn Enloe, a Seattle-based registered dietician nutritionist, tea rich in antioxidants provides a wide range of benefits. For instance, improved heart and gut health, lower blood sugar levels, better blood pressure and lower levels of harmful cholesterol.
Kenyan Tea has Significant Caffeine Levels
Kenyan tea also has significant caffeine levels – not just to get you out of bed every morning! But the amount depends on the brand.
For instance, the Caffeine Informer tells us that an 8-ounce cup of Waka instant tea has 0.001 ounces of caffeine.
According to researchers from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Chai Mara Moja has the highest caffeine content at 7.36%.
Sasini tea contains 1.80% caffeine while Kericho Gold tea has 2.37%.
According to Hannah Nichols, the right amount of caffeine can boost brain function, keep Dementia and Parkinson’s disease away and also improve your memory.
And now let me share with you the most popular brands.
3 Most Popular Kenyan Tea Brands
As a Kenyan tea aficionado residing in Kenya, I’d say these are the most popular tea brands in Kenyan households.
And by the way, close to 95% of Kenyan households drink tea everyday.
Kericho Gold Tea
Kericho Gold is a well-known Kenyan tea brand, having started operations two decades ago.
It’s a single-origin tea brand from the Kericho highlands.
As a Kenyan tea expert, I’d say it’s the best Kenyan tea brand you’ll ever find.
They have distributors/partners around the world, including the USA, UK, China and Russia.
Ketepa Tea
Ketepa derives its name from Kenya Tea Packers.
It’s the biggest Kenyan tea company having been in operation since 1978.
They have black loose leaf tea, black tea bags, flavored black tea, herbal infusions, green tea and specialty teas.
Baraka Chai
Baraka Chai, directly translated as “the blessed tea” is another popular Kenyan tea brand.
They sell loose leaf teas, tea bags and very nice ginger and Masala tea.
Finally, are you starting out on Kenyan tea? Here’s the best tea for you.
Best Kenyan Tea for Beginners
If you’re new to tea, I’d advise experimenting with Kericho Tea.
Choose tea bags of teas that are easy to brew, as opposed to loose leaf teas.
But still, don’t leave it to brew for too long.
The flavor might be too strong (somewhat bitter) for beginners.
2-3 minutes of brewing should be fine.
It’s also advisable to add a little milk to reduce the bitter taste of most Kenyan teas and also enhance the flavor.
By the way, Kenyan tea is best served with milk, anytime!
Hopping from Kenya to Japan: Have you had a look at interesting articles about green Matcha tea?.
Photo by Breakingpic.
