Customer Rating: 
Summary: Prevents altitude sickness? Increases endurance!
Comment: I ordered 103 bags of Coca tea as part of my research for a trip to Peru. It is a little sharper than many green teas, and a bit sweeter. It has a soothing effect. I've read that Peruvian guides offer their guests Coca tea to help with altitude sickness, but the Ramapo Mountains near my house range only from 900 to 1200 feet tall so I can't confirm that claim.
Years ago on a trip to Mesa Verde we learned that apple juice can help with altitude sickness. So, we plan to drink Coca tea for a few weeks before our trip -- it's supposed to increase your blood's ability to carry oxygen -- and keep our eyes open for apple juice once we arrive.
On the research side I've learned that Coca tea is also called mate de coca. It is not drunk through a straw like yerba mate, but out of a cup like other tisanes, or herbal teas.
It is made using the leaves of the coca plant, either by submerging the coca leaf or by dipping a tea bag in hot water. It comes from the Andes, especially from Peru and in Bolivia.
The leaves of the coca plant contain several alkaloids including cocaine; it takes 500 coca leaves to make a gram of cocaine. Coca Tea MacMate comes in filtering bags containing a gram of the leaf. The leaves have been decocainized leaving just a minute quantity of cocaine. The deconcainized tea is legal to sell in the USA according to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
The coca plant comprises four main species and varieties of Erythroxylum coca, often spelled koka in Quechua and Aymara, is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to northwestern South America.
My friend Teodoro from Andean Bolivia encourages me to find a leaf to suck on during my trip to Peru. If I'm successful, I'll report back on the experience. In the meantime, my wife, Ted and I will enjoy Coca tea here in New Jersey.
Robert C. Ross 2008
Customer Rating:
Summary: A little rain on the parade
Comment: As ridiculous as this may be, coca leaf tea is illegal in the United States. If you don't believe me, just call up the local drug enforcement people. It is actually illegal in most countries in the world. The Bolivian government is trying to get the help of the United Nations to change these idiotic laws. From all I have read coca leaf tea is completely safe, non addictive, and quite tasty, though I will have to go to Bolivia to see for myself because it is a felony in my State (and the other 49) and I have no desire to ever set foot in a prison. This is just as idiotic as hemp being illegal to grow in the U.S. even though it was a major crop for most of the country's history. It is the idiotic laws that weaken the other laws of a nation.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great alternative to coffee
Comment: This tea is a nice alternative to coffee. I do not like the jitters that coffee gives; Windsor Tea however, is a nice pick me up without the nervousness.
Don't worry! It's completely legal.
Very prompt service-- great professionalism.
Summary: Prevents altitude sickness? Increases endurance!
Comment: I ordered 103 bags of Coca tea as part of my research for a trip to Peru. It is a little sharper than many green teas, and a bit sweeter. It has a soothing effect. I've read that Peruvian guides offer their guests Coca tea to help with altitude sickness, but the Ramapo Mountains near my house range only from 900 to 1200 feet tall so I can't confirm that claim.
Years ago on a trip to Mesa Verde we learned that apple juice can help with altitude sickness. So, we plan to drink Coca tea for a few weeks before our trip -- it's supposed to increase your blood's ability to carry oxygen -- and keep our eyes open for apple juice once we arrive.
On the research side I've learned that Coca tea is also called mate de coca. It is not drunk through a straw like yerba mate, but out of a cup like other tisanes, or herbal teas.
It is made using the leaves of the coca plant, either by submerging the coca leaf or by dipping a tea bag in hot water. It comes from the Andes, especially from Peru and in Bolivia.
The leaves of the coca plant contain several alkaloids including cocaine; it takes 500 coca leaves to make a gram of cocaine. Coca Tea MacMate comes in filtering bags containing a gram of the leaf. The leaves have been decocainized leaving just a minute quantity of cocaine. The deconcainized tea is legal to sell in the USA according to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
The coca plant comprises four main species and varieties of Erythroxylum coca, often spelled koka in Quechua and Aymara, is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to northwestern South America.
My friend Teodoro from Andean Bolivia encourages me to find a leaf to suck on during my trip to Peru. If I'm successful, I'll report back on the experience. In the meantime, my wife, Ted and I will enjoy Coca tea here in New Jersey.
Robert C. Ross 2008
Customer Rating:
Summary: A little rain on the parade
Comment: As ridiculous as this may be, coca leaf tea is illegal in the United States. If you don't believe me, just call up the local drug enforcement people. It is actually illegal in most countries in the world. The Bolivian government is trying to get the help of the United Nations to change these idiotic laws. From all I have read coca leaf tea is completely safe, non addictive, and quite tasty, though I will have to go to Bolivia to see for myself because it is a felony in my State (and the other 49) and I have no desire to ever set foot in a prison. This is just as idiotic as hemp being illegal to grow in the U.S. even though it was a major crop for most of the country's history. It is the idiotic laws that weaken the other laws of a nation.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great alternative to coffee
Comment: This tea is a nice alternative to coffee. I do not like the jitters that coffee gives; Windsor Tea however, is a nice pick me up without the nervousness.
Don't worry! It's completely legal.
Very prompt service-- great professionalism.