Coca tea Peru, these three words have been spoken many times over. That’s because coca tea mainly comes from Peru and Bolivia. And coca tea certainly goes really well in Peru.
And that is for a good reason. Peru is located at 3,400 meters in elevation, and nothing cures the effects of altitude sickness as quickly and effectively as the Erythroxylum coca var. coca, or better known as coca leaf.
This makes Peru to be one of the highest cities in the world.
Upon arriving in Peru, you can experience the unpleasant effects of the high altitude within minutes of getting out of your airplane at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport. These altitude sickness side-effects are: difficulty to breath, headaches, dizziness and feelings of nausea. People can also have hallucinations. On very rare occasions people can die from this condition.
One would question why did the Incas ever decide to build the capital of their empire right here in the 13th century. Obviously they knew all about the healing powers of coca leaf tea.
This is also the case for the coca vendors who greet your flight upon arrival. What’s interesting to know is that they are the descendants of the Quechua people who have lived in and around Peru for several centuries or more. These coca tea Peru sellers come selling plastic bags of coca leaves, coca tea and coca sweets.
The arriving visitors are curios and yet apprehensive to try coca tea products. This is because a foolish and biased law discourages people to consume coca products across the world except in Peru, Bolivia and other parts of South America. That’s because coca leaves contain a psychoactive alkaloid called cocaine, the primary ingredient for the drug that rich politicians, celebrities, sports stars, lawyers, judges and doctors have come to love.
What you should know is that the percentage of cocaine alkaloids in coca tea is small, and the effects between coca tea and cocaine are not identical. Coca tea leaf is a mild to medium (dose dependent) stimulant that stops hunger, pain, fatigue and thirst, without the overwhelming speedy effects and the rush of cocaine. Chewing coca tea with sodium bicarbonate can still make the user euphoric, energetic and feel “on top of the world”. You just need to chew more coca tea consecutively over a space of 1 hour to steadily build up the effects. Coca tea also lacks the anxiety and paranoia feelings that cocaine users often exhibit.
And coca leaf extract is still used in Coca Cola today, but the modern version has been de-cocainized and unlike the original recipe has no cocaine.
Coca tea Peru and in Bolivia is loved by the locals, they chew the dried coca leaves and coca tea powder during the day. These people in Peru have chewed coca tea for over 5,000 years. And if you look closely at the paintings in Cusco’s cathedral, you’ll see portraits of the saints with a huge bulge in their mouth, they are chewing coca tea.
The consumption of coca leaf tea also has many cultural and religious links. The Inca used it as part of their spiritual belief. You will notice that even today in the modern times, people in Peru and Bolivia thank God while facing the mountains, thanking the divine for coca tea leaf.
Tourists and visitors to Peru, often also begin to thank the spirit of coca when they are feeling exhausted and find the only relief coming is that when they chew and drink coca tea in the high Andean thin air. If you are going to explore Cusco’s historic streets, busy markets, ancient cathedrals and vast shopping arcades, you better buy some coca tea powder or leaves with you for steady energy and to combat the altitude sickness. Coca is also great for curing nausea and headaches.
You will find that almost all hotels have coca tea available for free to tourists. Coca tea in Peru has a delicately pleasant flavour, many say it’s similar to green tea. As you chew or drink the coca leaf tea, your headache disappears, the throbbing pain stops and you can breathe easily again. It’s a much welcomed relief.
Did I mention that coca tea is also excellent for weight loss and fat burning? Fasting has never been easier while chewing coca tea powder with bi carb soda. You simply don’t want to eat and there are no food cravings.
Coca tea really is a gift from God.
To your health and success,
Alex