Smooth and rich, with hints of molasses and chicory, guayusa keeps you awake and alert. While many of the indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon grow coffee or tea (plants imported from other parts of the world), guayusa, in contrast, is a native plant of immense cultural importance and mythological significance. Traditionally, indigenous families wake up together at dawn to drink guayusa. They sit around the communal fire drinking gourds full of guayusa until sunrise.
Origin: Rain Forest, Ecuador.
Brewing: 2 teaspoons per 16 ounces boiling water. Steep 5-7 minutes.