Kinkeliba is a delicious herbal tea, with the unsweetened taste reminiscent of a cross between a raw Puerh tea from China and rooibos tea from South Africa. It has a pleasant flavor and a refreshing after taste that saturates the body with a subtle feeling of well being and calm. Traditionally, West African people enjoy kinkeliba through out the day, especially in the morning where it is often taken with sugar and milk as one would coffee. Unlike coffee, kinkeliba/seh-haw is caffeine free yet invigorating in the morning, and some people mix spices such as djar (Xylopia aethiopica) as is also used in the famous coffee of Senegal Café Touba. Kinkeliba is the perfect drink for those seeking a caffeine-free boost in the morning, and it’s a deliciously perfect way to start the morning as it promotes digestion. It can be used in a more concentrated form, as in adding more leaf or tea bags, for constipation and has mildly gentle laxative and diuretic effects for starting the day by expelling the toxins that make one feel nauseous and lethargic.
In West Africa, the tea is used as a pleasant, tonic herb or bush tea to feel good and prevent illness. More concentrated batches are made for specific complaints with admixtures of various herbs, ingredients and spices being employed for different purposes. The tea is studied to exhibit anti-diabetic effects and prevents spiking in blood sugars, making it a perfect daily tea for those struggling with health issues relating to blood sugar. Seh-haw’s extensive use in medical and religious fasting contexts makes it an obvious choice for people struggling with weight issues. It is a balancing herb, aiding weight loss or weight gain as needed, as it balances the endocrine system and dispels toxins and as the local healers say, it “cleanses the blood.” It is thus a perfect herb to begin the day with, aiding in expelling waste toxins, balancing blood sugar levels, curing cravings and giving a sense of well being and alertness without the jittery and sometimes nauseating side effects of caffeinated beverages. We favor the use of honey with the tea, as it brings out a complex of flavor, making this a truly enjoyable herbal tea worth of sipping slowly and savoring. It is perfect after fatty, oily or heavy meals at it makes digestion easier and controls spikes in blood sugar as well as cleansing the liver of accumulated toxins and fats.
In addition to kinkeliba, we will be offering such traditiona blends as this on www.teapotherbalist.com this week! we are excited to be a part of bringing this amazing superfood, kinkeliba, to the United States. its delicious and healing!
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