By admin 
Long before Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Oolong reached our shores, there was Yaupon.
Tea brewed from the leaves of the yaupon holly has been part of the North American diet for more than 1,000 years and is consumed by native tribes as a stimulant, medicinal agent, and as a ceremonial drink.
Early European settlers and black communities also drank it, especially in the southeastern United States, where yaupon—believed to be the only native plant on the continent to contain caffeine—grows wild as a shrub or small tree with oval, dark green leaves . But the arrival of imported tea and coffee, among other things, has taken over native tea until recently.
“Historians and botanists have always known about Yaupon,” says Dr. Christine Folch, who has studied and written about the plant. She is the Bacca Foundation Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
“The consumption is very well documented in the archival literature of North America,” she said. “It was a bit lost in the 19th century. And in the 20th century they were just shrubs. But now, in the 21st century, there is real interest.”
A few small businesses process and sell yaupon, mainly in specialty stores and online, while some people harvest their own. It’s still just a decline in the U.S. tea market, which is estimated to reach more than $16 billion this year, according to market research firm Statista. But that could change.
“It’s a very pleasant beverage to drink, and it has all the right notes as a caffeinated beverage,” Folch said. Unlike most teas, which are grown elsewhere and imported, it is also good for the environment, she said. For some people, “you can literally get it on your doorstep. But if you buy it, it doesn’t come from abroad, so it has a very low carbon footprint.”
Many teas claim health benefits, with studies suggesting that compounds in tea may help lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and other ailments. So where does Yaupon fit in?
“I’m very careful about making any health claims because you always need more research. But it is delicious,” says Dr. Stephen Talcott, professor of food chemistry at Texas A&M University in College Station.
Although yaupon contains caffeine, Talcott says amounts vary depending on how and where the plant is grown so companies can control the buzz factor. It also contains polyphenols, which are micronutrients that fight inflammation and act as antioxidants that can reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Talcott, who studies how the body absorbs the compounds in yaupon, said the only possible downside is for people who are sensitive to caffeine. But, he said, don’t be put off by Yaupon Holly’s scientific name: Ilex vomitoria.
That unsavory name dates back to 1789. Possible explanations include that the tea was used along with other brews in Native American cleansing ceremonies, and that English tea traders wanted to discourage competition.
“Yaupon holly does not contain any compounds that can cause an emetic reaction,” Talcott said, using a medical term for vomiting.
Botanically, he said, yaupon is a cousin of yerba mate, a tea that can be traced back to indigenous tribes in South America, where the tea is still popular. It is becoming more accepted in North America and elsewhere as well.
Folch recently published a book on the history of yerba mate and said the leaves and twigs are usually smoked, creating an earthy taste that can be an acquired taste.
“Yaupon is different,” she said. “If you like black tea or green tea, this will feel shockingly familiar.”
You can buy yaupon as loose or bagged tea, which is advertised as being equally delicious hot or cold. Or if you live in an area stretching roughly from Texas to Florida and up to Virginia, Yaupon will probably come to you.
“I’ve taken students around campus looking for it,” Folch said. “You take the leaves – not the berries – and roast them in a non-stick pan on your stovetop, probably for five minutes on a low temperature to turn them from green to brown. Then you crush them, put them in hot water and you have your drink.
As gardeners know, yaupon is a hardy plant, often invasive, drought-resistant and difficult to remove. That, says Talcott – who roasts the leaves in the oven – can give the tea a sweet touch of revenge.
“People say, ‘I cut that stuff down in my backyard forever,’” he said. ‘I say you can make tea from that. They say, ‘Are you kidding me?’ And then they call me back a week later and say, ‘Damn, that was good!’”
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