Coconut Flavored Tea. The Coastal and Islands beverage which is sipping the East African gourmet sector with aplomb

Coconut tea anybody?

Let’s start with Tea itself; this is a popular global drink which should be familiar in all the countries of the world.

Tea, despite its various flavors, essentially looks and tastes almost alike around the globe.

But wait, tea doesn’t have to feel and taste the same everywhere,

In Tanzania for instance, tea has taken a different and creative approach, in both texture and flavor

As part of the country’s strategy in promoting local cuisine and cultural flavor, Tanzania has reinvented tea.

Enter the ‘Coconut Tea,’ which is popular along the Indian Ocean coastal communities and Islands.

Ever heard of ‘Coconut tea?’

This drink, known locally as ‘Chai ya Nazi,’ is a specialty of the coastal people along the Indian Ocean shores of Tanzania as well as nearby archipelagos.

Coconut Tea is …Well, just tea, except instead of adding the usual dairy milk, coconut milk is used instead.

Vegetarians should be smiling to this

It may look and feel like its dairy counterpart, but coconut milk is a creamy liquid extracted from the flesh of mature coconuts.

Coconut milk is made from the grated white flesh of mature coconuts and mixing the pulp with water.

The mixture is then strained to produce a milk-like consistency which is rich in nutrients and widely used in various cuisines around the world.

When brewed with tea leaves, the taste is astoundingly good.

But it doesn’t end there, coconut tea also has other healthy ingredients such as cardamon, cinnamon and ginger.

Coconut tea is not just a tasty, refreshing drink which smells good, but is deeply blended with the coastal culture, including history and heathen story telling.

Tourists also love to either witness or take part in the preparation of coconut tea.

They also get to learn about other usage of palm trees in daily lives of coastal people.

Coconut tea can be taken on its own or with other delicacies such as scones, traditional pancakes and other pastries.

But there are also various health benefits of coconuts, being rich in Vitamins B, C and iron in addition to being an active antioxidant.

Take a sip and thank me later!