Purple tea is known to be one of the healthiest tea varieties, because it contains anthocyanin - a strong anti-oxidant also found in blueberries. This anti-oxidant gives purple tea leaves their unique colour, hence the name “purple” tea.

Purple tea origins

Purple tea is a true tea, this means it comes from the Camellia sinensis plant - just like black tea, green tea, white tea and the many other true tea varieties we are already familiar with. 

Sometimes when the tea plant is exposed to too much UV radiation or some other environmental stressor, it produces anthocyanin, a purple pigment which is also a very strong anti-oxidant. 

The production of this anti-oxidant is a defence mechanism that helps the plant stay healthy. Some teas naturally produce more of this pigment than others. 

Scientists in Kenya, used tea plants that naturally produce more of this pigment and cultivated from them what we know as purple tea. This tea plant is very well suited for the Kenyan sunny climate and it is rich in strong anti-oxidants that help it survive all the UV radiation it is exposed to.

Composition

The difference between purple tea and all the other tea varieties is that purple tea has a unique mutation. This mutation, makes the plant produce high quantities of the very strong antioxidant - anthocyanin. 

This anti-oxidant is also found in blueberries, blackberries and many other plants with a purple colour and it has many health benefits attributed to it.

Manufacturing

Purple tea can be processed as any other type of tea. It can be fermented and processed as a black tea, or it can be minimally processed as a green or white tea and everything in between. 

At the moment purple tea is most commonly processed as black or red tea. But from purple tea you can produce many different types of tea with different flavour profiles. In the next few years, more varieties of purple tea will likely appear.

The base process for manufacturing purple tea is commonly as follows:

Fresh tea leaf → withering → oxidation → heating → rolling → drying → roasting → purple tea

The tea does not necessarily go through all these steps though and some of the setps might be different.

Do keep in mind that this type of tea is still very new on the market and produced in relatively small quantities. It is currently gaining popularity and in the near future purple teas processed as green or even white tea will likely become easier to find.

Uses

Purple tea is still quite new and mostly consumed like classic black tea. People find it usually has less astringency and a more subtle flavour than regular black tea. Therefore sugar and milk are typically not added to the tea, even though you can certainly add them, depending on your personal taste. 

Similar to traditional tea, you have the option of enjoying purple tea in the morning or afternoon. In my opinion, a cup of freshly brewed tea filled with antioxidants is an excellent way to start your day.

Types of purple tea

There are many types of purple tea, depending on how it is processed. Purple is usually processed like black or red tea, but it can for example also be processed like a green tea.

The taste of purple tea

Purple tea typically contains slightly less chlorophyl than regular tea, this gives it a milder taste with less astringency. Apart from that, the flavour profile of purple tea can vary significantly based on the way it is processed.

Purple tea can change colour

Anthocyanin - the antioxidant that gives purple tea its colour, is very sensitive to changes in pH. Depending on the acidity of the water, it can appear red, purple, blue, or black.

So if you add a piece of lemon to your tea and it suddenly turns blue - don't worry, this is completely normal!

Caffeine content in purple tea

There are a lot of misconceptions about the caffeine content in purple tea. Many people think it has less caffeine than regular tea, but this is often not true. 

The caffeine content in purple tea depends on the following factors:

1. Where and how the tea was cultivated.

2. How the leaves were processed.

3. The temperature of the water used to brew the tea.

4. How long the tea is brewed.

So if you want your cup of purple tea to contain less caffeine, make sure the water you use to brew it is not too hot. Also, make sure to take your tea leaves out on time, as a longer steeping time results in more caffeine.

How to buy and store purple tea

Purple tea can be found in many online shops and specialty tea shops. Usually loose leaf tea has a higher quality than the tea from teabags. 

If you plan to finish your tea within a month or two, it is okay to store it in the bag it came with. I personally recommend, as soon as you buy your tea, to transfer the leaves to an airtight tea storage container with double lid. This ensures optimal preservation of quality and flavour of your tea.

How to prepare purple tea

The best way to prepare purple tea depends on the way it is processed. If you are not sure what to do, you can follow this recipe:

Ingredients:

1 tsp purple tea leaves

1 cup water

Directions:

1. Bring the water almost to a boil.

3. Add 1 tsp of purple leaves to the teapot and carefully pour the water over them.

4. Steep the tea for 2-3 minutes and then strain.

Serve and enjoy!