Are Coffee Leaves Poisonous? (Solved & Explained!)

The coffee leaves contain saponins, which are a class of terpenoid glycosides and steroids that form foam if you shake them with water. These saponins are poisonous for pets and humans if they are consumed in great quantities.

However, saponins in coffee leaves do not cause severe poisoning in humans and are used in coffee syrups, sneezing powders, diuretics, and emetics to treat many pathological conditions.

In this article, we will discuss various applications of the coffee leaf, how to consume it safely, and how to get the most benefit out of the coffee leaf.

Are Coffee Plant Leaves Edible?

Coffee leaves are edible as you can infuse them to make tea. It is recommended to intake the leaves after being dried and used in the form of a beverage. This beverage has been used for more than 100 years in Ethiopia (it is popularly known as ‘kutti’).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqFp_TDyMzw

What do Coffee Leaves Look Like?

Coffee leaves vary in shape and colors depending on the varieties and season. The shape of the coffee leaves is either ovate or oblong. The color varies from deep green to purple and yellow according to the variety of the coffee plant. The length of a fully grown coffee tree leaves is about 3 feet, and the width is 2 feet.

The color of coffee leaves is pink-bronze during spring and turns to dark bluish-green in summer as they grow. The coffee leaves color turns yellow in fall.

Why Are My Coffee Leaves Turning Brown and Crispy?

Coffee plant leaves behave differently in different environmental conditions. Low relative humidity makes the coffee plant leaves turn brown at the edges of leaf spikes. Similarly, if the coffee plant is exposed to too much sunlight or under any fungal attack, the leaves turn yellowish-brown. 

If you live in areas where the temperature goes below fifty degrees Fahrenheit, the plant leaves may also turn brown and drop off.

If the pH of the soil is maintained between 4.2 and 6.0, the plant is kept under environmental conditions where the soil is well-draining, not flooded with water, and the humidity is not low, the leaves of the coffee will not turn brown or yellow and hence will not fall.

What do Coffee Leaves Taste Like?

The greenish coffee leaves have a bitter taste, but it is not distasteful. You will feel a slight flavor of menthol. The dried coffee leaves are nowadays used to make coffee tea – a beverage that tastes indistinguishable from green tea and tastes much like green tea or oolong tea.

What Can You Do With Coffee Leaves?

According to Research Gate, coffee plant leaves have been used as tea beverages and ethnomedicine and for various purposes such as:

• As organic fungicide – to prevent the spores of the fungus from developing.
• As tobacco substitute 
• As therapeutic agents 
• In various packing materials
• In personal hygiene products

Can you Make Tea With Coffee Leaves?

You can make tea with coffee leaves. Coffee tea is a perfect solution for both coffee and tea lovers. Coffee leaves tea proffers distinctive taste and wellness. The coffee leaves are roasted and ground to make herbal tea.

What Are Coffee Leaves Suitable for?

Besides coffee and coffee fruit tea (Cascara), the coffee leaves are now used to make coffee-leaf tea. They are gaining popularity because they are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Moreover, coffee leaves’ caffeine level is significantly low compared to coffee fruits and coffee beans.

• Anti-microbial and cholesterol-lowering properties are also present in coffee leaves. Moreover, coffee leaves have a very high level of a photochemical substance known as mangiferin, which can protect against cancer and heart diseases.
• Coffee leaves tea is gaining much popularity due to its excellent benefits and low caffeine levels. A company in Canada named Wize Monkey has even introduced varieties of coffee leaf tea flavors, including mint, jasmine, Earl gray, and mango.
• More studies from the food scientists of the University of British Columbia have found that coffee leaf tea aids in balancing the body’s ability to produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps in maintaining blood pressure.
• More studies are in progress to reveal many other health benefits of coffee leaves.

How Do I Make Tea with Coffee Leaves?

I have broken down how to make coffee leaves tea into a few simple steps;

1. Wash and dry coffee leaves and dry them on any baking dish or anything dry.
2. Rip off the brown edges. 
3. Set the oven to 200 degrees, which is not very hot, but it is enough to dry.
4. Crunch the dried coffee leaves.
5. Now, this can be brewed on its own.
6. Place the dried leaves in a pan, place the pan on a heater, and keep them moving with the help of a spatula.
7. When the leaves have gotten darkened, a little tastier, and have a pleasant roasted smell, then take the pan off the heat.
8. Put these leaves in a glass.
9. Fill one-third glass with hot water. 
10. Let the solution sit for about five minutes or so.
11. Sieve the prepared tea, and it is ready to infuse.

The tea tastes a bit similar to oolong tea and green tea. The coffee leaf tea that is roasted has a significantly better taste than the unroasted one. The unroasted coffee tea tastes much like green beans that are not so good. 

Does Coffee Leaf Tea Taste Like Coffee?

Coffee leaf tea has an earthy, refreshing taste. It is similar to green tea in taste, except not as grassy. It also has a color similar to short-brewed black tea and has a slight amber color. It does not become bitter like other teas if steeped for too long.

Going deeper into the flavor of coffee leaf tea, tasting it on the palate has notes of vanilla, honey, tobacco, and the rich earth notes that were mentioned previously. However, regarding other black teas, a coffee leaf tea is unique in its higher amounts of sweetness and balance, without tanginess or a distinct coffee taste that one might expect.

Many companies are now introducing many new flavors of coffee leaves tea in the market.