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  • Writer's pictureHula Consulting

What's Purple Tea and Where Can I Get Mine?

Purple tea is an increasingly popular alternative for tea drinkers because of its attributed health benefits, pleasant taste, and cool purple color. Purple tea plants are good for farmers due to their high tolerance to frost, drought, and pests. Additionally, the leaf has a lower caffeine content than black tea and is comparable in taste to green tea.

Instaworthy?

Purple tea liquor steeps from light to dark purple. If that wasn't enough to fill your 'gram, add lemon. The acidity from the yellow fruit changes the brewed color from purple to lavender and shades of pink right before your eyes!


Purple tea, like all other tea, originates from the Camellia sinensis plant. Purple tea is a cultivar, which is a plant variety produced in cultivation by selective breeding. This allows for unique colors, flavors, and health benefits.


Where Ya From?

Much of the world's purple tea is from the Nandi Hills region of Kenya, grown at elevations between 4,500 and 7,500 feet. This high altitude near the equator results in higher levels of UV defense, causing the plant's secondary metabolites to produce very high levels of antioxidants to protect the leaves from damage. Because of the high altitude, pesticides are not typically used on purple tea.

The purple tea plant is more resistant to drought than other tea plants, meaning the livelihoods of tea farmers may be better protected against climate change. This allows the Kenyan tea farmers to earn greater profit margins and improve the lives of their families and communities.


How'd it Get Purple?

The pretty purple appearance of the tea is caused by a unique genetic mutation that produces anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is a flavonoid, which is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants help your body fight off potentially harmful molecules, known as free radicals, that can be introduced to the body. Basically, these antioxidants may provide anti-cancer benefits, improve vision, protect against cardiovascular diseases, and aid in cholesterol and blood sugar metabolism.


What to sip?

Hula Consulting is so grateful to partner with Lake Missoula Tea Company to bring exceptional Purple Teas from the Kapsimotwa Gardens of Kenya to your tea businesses at wholesale packaging and pricing. Lake Missoula Tea Company has provided exceptional purple tea to the local market since 2013. As the tea plants mature and the manufacturing develops, the quality and flavor of these purple teas continue to make advancements.

In addition to purple tea, select black teas are sourced from this wonderful family tea farm. We cannot mention these beautiful teas without mention of our friend and Kapsimotwa Gardens Tea Grower, David, who we lost in June to Covid-19.


Below is a selection of beautiful purple teas and offerings grown from his family's farm.





Rift Valley Currant

Earthy, tart, complex, and layered with gentle whispers of sweetness. Kenyan black and purple teas with butterfly pea flowers and black currants. This tea's name honors Kenya and its people. The Great Rift Valley of Africa is a 3,700-mile-long trench that passes through all of Kenya. Enjoy this antioxidant-rich beautiful brew served hot or over ice.


Emerald Elixir Purple Tea Blend

Peppery and earthy with hints of lemon. This blend brews an intoxicating color of emerald to blue-green. Delicate with lemon front flavors, a hint of pepper (holy basil), and a slight sharpness of Kenyan purple tea. Enjoy its flavor and its potential health benefits.


Hand Rolled Purple

Complex notes and brews a cup with a purple hue! Hand Rolled Purple is robust with a rich and calming aroma and flavor, slight astringency with a clean finish. Purple tea is rumored to have anti-aging and appetite suppressant qualities.




Beliote Black – Black Tea

This whole leaf organic black tea is full-bodied, with a good balance and a hint of caramel. A flavorful self-drinker. Beliote means elephant in Nandi, one of the many languages spoken in Kenya. A fair wage is paid to the tea growers of this quality, artisan tea.




Thirsty for more?

The #teaexperts at Hula Consulting are honored to help with procuring these teas grown in Kenya, Purple Teas, and beautiful blends at wholesale from Lake Missoula Tea Company for your own tea company. For these or ingredients to use in your next custom blend, please email Scott@HulaConsulting.com or call 561.600.7025 for pricing and samples! We look forward to discussing your tea business with you!


📸 Photographs and information used with permission provided by Lake Missoula Tea Company. Additional Sources:

  • Kenya Tea Research Foundation.

  • Keiro, L.C., Wachira, F.N., Wanyoko, J.K., & Rotich, M.K. (2012). Characterization of anthocyanins in Kenyan teas: Extraction and identification. Food Chemistry, 131: 31-38.

  • Wang, L., Pan, D., Liang, M., Abubakar, Y., Li, J., Lin, J., … Chen, W. (2017). Regulation of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Purple Leaves of Zijuan Tea (Camellia sinensis var. kitamura). International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(4), 833. http://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18040833

  • "Kenya tea: The Tea of Your Choice For Better Health” an article by Dr. Samson Kamunya




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