Crazy for Cocoa Tea
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There are only four actual types of tea that are made from true tea leaves, and these are: green, white, black or red and oolong. However, there are many variations that people through the years have come up with in order to add some variety to the tea menu.
For instance, people have been known to make up their own herbal teas from tree or bush leaves which are actually of no relation at all to the one true tea tree, which is that of the camellia sinensis. One variation in particular is that of cocoa tea, which is discussed here in this article.
Where did Cocoa Tea Come From?
Cocoa tea is a regional delight which originated from and was first made popular in Soufriere St. Lucia, in the West Indies in the Caribbean. Cocoa tea quickly came to be in a time when a single meal might have been made up of a drink and some accompanying, more filling parts.
This drink was thus created to fit such a need. Soufriere St. Lucia citizens, at the time of cocoa tea's creation, basically needed to find or create foods which were economical, efficient and which could be made to feed each member of their family properly. Cocoa tea was thus basically invented as a breakfast treat that fit this bill.
What Exactly is Cocoa Tea?
Cocoa tea is really not a tea at all and in fact does not even contain any tea at all. It is referred to as a tea however because a bay leaf and cinnamon stick are steeped in boiling water in the same way which one would steep actual tea leaves in order to make regular tea.
In addition to the traditionally used cinnamon and bay leaves, the traditional cocoa tea recipe also includes that of milk or cream, as well as water, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cornstarch. Today, cocoa tea might be served with a side of bread. In older times, however, flour dumplings were boiled within the drink in order to make it a complete meal.
So as one can see, cocoa tea is not really a tea, not even really in the loosest sense. Nor is cocoa tea even considered as a meal in a beverage like the locals claimed it first started as. Cocoa tea, although still served as a breakfast meal, could easily be treated as a dessert treat or even possibly an enjoyable snack. It can also be incredibly filling when served with bread or even in the traditional way with dumplings floating within. However mostly it is just an enjoyable, albeit sugary and rich, local delight that one will encounter especially if voyaging through Soufriere St. Lucia in the Caribbean.
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