It may come as a bit of a surprise to many tea drinkers to discover that Bolivia produces some impressive specialty teas that are available today on the international market. Well known for its coffees, few people have discovered its smooth Sencha-like greens or fruity, full-bodied blacks that are made in the sub-Andean valleys where the rugged snow-capped peaks slope gradually down into the Amazon basin. In the late 1930s, German and Dutch immigrants brought the first tea seeds to La Paz in Bolivia’s Larecaja province, establishing plantations in an area where the altitude, climate and soil conditions were near perfect for tea cultivation.
The subtle aroma and flavor of the teas is quite remarkable and these excellent products deserve a place on the shelves of any tea connoisseur.
Bolivia’s tea production is rather small.
National companies have been formed to sell Bolivian tea: Naturaleza SA, Ecocaranavi SRL and Naturaleza SA are companies that manufacture their brands of black standard tea bags solely using national production.
Although most of the black standard tea bags sold in Bolivia are manufactured in the country, tea as a raw material is imported by manufacturers like Hansa Ltda (for its Windsor brand) since national tea production is not enough to meet supply needs.
Consumption of fruit/herbal tea has long tradition
Fruit/herbal tea is part of Bolivian culture. These products are commonly used as traditional remedies and are considered to be very effective forms of medicine by consumers of all socioeconomic levels.
This tradition has been a key factor in sales of fruit/herbal tea, manufactured by companies like Hansa Ltda (Windsor Herbal teas brand), Naturaleza SA (Frutte brand) and Pacheco y Cia SA (Hornimans Mac Mate brand). National consumers widely accept fruit/herbal tea and use it massively.
The most popular fruit/herbal tea flavours are Camomile, Aniseed and Coca, but there is a very wide variety offered by all national producers. Fruit/herbal tea is commonly used to aid digestion after lunch or dinner. Some companies have also started marketing their products as stress remedies, sleeping solutions and as diuretic or diet-aid products.
McMate
McMate Coca tea is a seasonal product. The "Private Reserve" is produced in Caranavi - La Paz. A study by The American Journal of Epidemiology showed coca's usefulness in treating gastrointestinal ailments, as well as motion and altitude sickness. They found it to be a fast acting antidepressant and helpful in combating hypoglycemia and diabetes. Furthermore, coca leaves deliver healthy doses of vitamins A, C, B and E, phosphorous, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and protein.
Windsor
Coca tea Windsor is a great gourmet herbal tea. It has a fresh peppermint green tea and mild grassy flavor which is very pleasant at any time of the day. Windsor is produced in Bolivia by Hansa Ltda, a German company with decades of experience. Everybody that has tried this tea knows that the presentation and content is impeccable.
