Coca Tea – Peruvian Culture in a Cup
Posted on | January 11, 2012 | 4 Comments
Guest post by Laura Elise
Peru is full of gastronomic treats and cultural treasures, and you can experience both in a single cup of tea.
Coca tea, also called mate de coca, is a wonderfully simple drink indigenous to the Andes. At its most basic, the drink follows a simple formula: pour hot water over dried coca leaves. Thanks to commercialization the tea is now also found in processed tea bags sold in supermarkets across the country. Both forms result in a natural taste similar to green tea.
So the tasty part is pretty evident, but where’s the culture?
Cultivation of coca leaves dates back 4,000 years, long before the Incas were about. Ancient Andean cultures primarily chewed the leaves (rather than brewing them) to alleviate altitude sickness and to act as a stimulant, which allowed them to work harder and longer. The coca plant contains alkaloids similar to those found in caffeine, resulting in an energy boost felt most strongly when consumed directly.
Perhaps because of its importance and prevalence in daily life, the coca leaf became sacred among these cultures. The Incas, in particular, treasured this “divine plant” and used it in rituals and religious ceremonies. They began large-scale coca cultivation but the practice was curtailed by the arrival of the Spanish, who decried coca consumption as “an agent of idolatry and sorcery.” This anti-coca position was partially reversed when the conquerors of the Incan Empire realized the benefits of allowing their “laborers” to chew coca to increase work performance, and the ruling class ended up taxing the trade of coca rather than completely outlawing it.
Today, coca is still chewed in indigenous cultures, although the tea form is much more prevalent. A steaming cup is presented to tourists upon arrival in most Cuzco hotels, a welcoming cultural gesture and way to keep guests from zonking out due to the city’s soaring altitude.
Though the drink is enjoyed throughout Peru, even in lower altitude cities like Lima, taking the tea outside the country is often illegal. Demonized due to it distant relation to cocaine, which also originates from the coca plant, many countries consider consumption of any part of the plant illegal. According to the US State Department: “Possession of these tea bags, which are sold in most Peruvian supermarkets, is illegal in the United States.”
Controversy aside, coca tea is a quaint drink that encompasses Peru’s unique environment, culture, and history. Most Machu Picchu tours touch upon ancient customs and modern culture, but for a more in-depth history of Peru and its ancient cultures, consider Peru luxury tours that feature multiple destinations.
Comments
4 Responses to “Coca Tea – Peruvian Culture in a Cup”
Leave a Reply
Live your dreams and your passions.
Isn't that why you left home in the first place?
Need Secure Transportation in Lima?
Enjoy Your Time in Peru More by Taking
About
I got tired of life happening while I made other plans, so I quit my job and came to Peru. I live here with my Peruvian husband, two sons, three dogs and various other family members, depending on the weather.
Watch LIVE TV from the US for Free!
Thinking of Moving Overseas?
Expat Women Blog Directory
January 11th, 2012 @ 13:21
U.S. law is not clear on the importation of coca tea to the United States. My husband and I brought back at least 10 boxes of coca tea plus other coca products and we had our luggage thoroughly inspected by Customs in Miami. The Customs supervisor said that the coca tea was allowed. Bringing coca tea into the United States is really at the discretion of the customs officer. To say that it is illegal is simply not true.
January 11th, 2012 @ 14:09
On this site (http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=1308.12 ) you can see that coca leaves are a Schedule II controlled substance, and as such (technically) aren’t permitted for import except under certain conditions (for instance, with a prescription). There are some companies that have permission to import them for the production of medicinal cocaine, and it’s also permitted to import “decocainized” leaves.
It’s like oxycontin – if you’ve got your prescription bottle with your name on it, you wouldn’t have trouble boarding a plane, but if you’ve got a few pills in a plastic bag, they may well be confiscated.
It’s good to hear though, that they seem to be relaxing their stance on travelers with tea bags – I remember some people on the Expat forum that had theirs confiscated a few years back.
January 15th, 2012 @ 13:43
A nice touch that is often done in the sierra is to toss a bit of muña in with the coca leaves. I’ve had it that way in Ancash and Arequipa. In the latter, if one also adds some mint it’s called a “mate triple.”
Juancho´s last [type] ..Tickets
February 2nd, 2012 @ 21:37
Interesting post. I had first hand experience on what is like to bring Coca teabags into Canada: Royal Canadian Mountie Police arrested me for bringing a “controlled-substance” into the country. THey let me go after 4 hours talking back and forth with them. They knew I was clear and I thought quite childish to be detained for that, but they explained me it was still the law. I was quite upset about all of it; if they consider coca tea bags illegal then it should be illegal to grow poppies in your front yard too. *sigh* I miss Peru terribly and can’t wait to go back (even better would be if I move back).