While Hawaii, the island and US state that sits over 2,000 miles off the coast of America, is known for its warm greetings, grass skirts and intense sunshine, it’s also home to a growing number of Hawaiian tea blends. From Kona coffee to tropical fruit, the place is known for its bounteous crops made possible because of its rich soil, but just recently, tea from the island is becoming increasingly popular.
While it might not be the first thing you think about when talking about Hawaii, there are a growing number of tea farms there, with its artisans carving out their own niche in the industry.
How Come Hawaiian Tea Even Exists?
Well, just because tea from the island is something new for the rest of us, the beverage has been consumed there for centuries. There are a number of native plants, such as the Ko’oko’olau and Mamaki blends, that are still, to this day, used to create some mouthwatering herbal teas.
That said, Hawaiian tea made from the camellia sinensis genus of tea is a relatively new addition to Hawaiian produce. This genus is the one responsible for giving us black, oolong, white and green teas that have become popular around the world.
It Took Over a Century to Perfect
The very tasty and fruity blends are what the true Hawaiian herbal teas tend to be created from, but the path to offering Camellia sinensis teas was a long one. Way back in 1887, when tea plants began arriving on the African continent, the new tea was tried but ultimately failed commercially due to the lack of profit. This paved the way for coffee to be the most popular drink from then on.
That remained the case until the turn of the 21st century when it was reintroduced to the Aloha state, and this time, it took off. The heightened interest in tea making, along with some external funding, allowed Hawaii’s burgeoning tea industry to really get started.
A Range of Tasty Tropical Blends Are Now Available
Make the trip to Hawaii today, and you’ll find many different teas being manufactured and shipped off to the US mainland for sale. Sure, production costs are still high, and the profit margins are what they could be, but due to the various different micro-climates that exist on the island, a wide variety of artisanal products can be created – each with its own unique tastes and flavors.
Why Not Try Some Hawaiian Tea Today?
You’ve got two options when you try tea from Hawaii, 1) try the wonderfully fruity and tropical-tasting options that the state is known for, or 2) enjoy some of the high-quality camellia sinensis products the place has to offer. Either way, you’re in for a treat for your taste buds.
The truth is that you won’t know what you’re missing until you try them, but if you like your teas fruity and full of body and flavor, you need to take a look at teas from Hawaii.
