A cup of tea can be anything from a thirst quencher to a relaxed moment shared, but many flavorful teas can be brewed with health and wellness in mind.

Recently I have been looking into some more unconventional teas brewed from fruit leaves as well as their health benefits. To be more specific Mango and Guava leaf teas. Who would have thought that fruit tree leaves could be used to make a delightful tea crammed with a plethora of health benefits? As it just so happens I have both those trees currently growing on the farm, so, I decided to give it a try.

But first, let us have a look at the two different types of teas individually.

Mango Leaf Tea

Mango leaf tea is said to have many health benefits.

Mango leaf is very high in Terpenoids which are important for optimal vision and immune health. They are also very high in antioxidants and can serve well as an anti-inflammatory.
"Some research suggests that they improve gut bacteria and help treat or prevent conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer" ~ source

Mango leaf tea is also said to be good for hair and skin health.

Guava Leaf Tea

As with mango leaf tea, Guava leaf tea also has a wide range of health benefits that include weight loss and improved digestive function, and the leaves are even being studied for their role in treating diabetes.

"Guava leaves are also a rich source of antioxidants, you know those things making the news that protects your cells by scavenging damaging free radicals. Brazilian scientists have tested an extract from guava leaves that conclusively fights Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) and Salmonella. All very intriguing, but always consult your doctor or professional herbalist before trying any sort of medicinal plant." ~ source

Brewing The Tea

For the sake of comparison, I decided to brew both teas at once. In both brews, I picked fresh young leaves from the Guava and Mango trees respectively. Once back in the kitchen I thoroughly bruised the leaves separately before chopping them very up very fine.

I made use of this awesome little tea infuser.

This nifty device has a small cavity that opens up to allow you to place loose tea leaves inside. Once the leaves are packed in, you can close the cavity and place it in a cup of boiled water to steep.

It also has a plunging press on the inside which can be used to press out the leaves in the cavity during the steeping process to release the optimal flavors. And of course afterward to drain out the last bit of water/tea from the infuser before discarding the leaves.

I will admit, I was pretty impressed with this little device.

Once the Guava leaf tea and the Mango leaf tea had steeped (respectively), I was ready to sit down and try them. My first observation was that the color of both teas were pretty light, which lead me to expect a watery taste. But I must say that I was pleasantly surprised when I took the first sip.

My experience with the Mango leaf tea

The mango leaf tea, despite its deceivingly light color, had quite a strong taste. To describe the taste best, I would have to say it tasted exactly the way an unripe mango smells when just picked. It had a mildly acidic taste to it with slightly a bitter after-taste which luckily did not linger. Once I moved passed that, the refreshing taste of green slightly acidic mango returned and left my mouth refreshed.

I wouldn’t say that this is the best tea I have ever had, but it is certainly bearable, also give all the health benefits, it is certainly worth drinking from time to time

My experience with the Guava leaf tea

The guava leaf tea on the other hand was surprisingly delightful, it also had a deceivingly light color, but the flavor was vibrantly intense. There was a slight natural sweetness and the taste of fully ripened guava fruits, which lingered long after you had taken a sip, was at the forefront. This is definitely a tea that I wouldn’t mind making and enjoying on a more regular basis.