Coca tea
Coca tea, also called mate de coca, is a tisane (herbal tea) made using the leaves of the coca plant; typically the raw leaves of the plant. It is made either by submerging the coca leaf or dipping a tea bag in hot water. The tea originates from the Andes mountain range, particularly Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.
The leaves of the coca plant contain several organic molecules.Once a chemical extraction process is preformed,these now chemically altered said molecules have been given several names pending there chemical equivalents with the table of elements,ie, alkaloids, [1] A large amount of chemically extracted coca alkaloid comprise the sources for now ,cocaine base, chemical production, the amount of coca alkaloid in the leaves is so small, around 0.4%,[1][2] that in order to make a gram of chemically altered coca alkaloid, 250 grams of coca leaves would be needed.[3][4] A cup of coca tea prepared from one gram of coca leaves contains approximately 4.21 mg of organic coca alkaloid,organic because no chemical extraction has occured.[5]
Owing to the presence of the stimulant alkaloids, the coca tea provides a stimulation similar to coffee. The tea is often sold commercially in filtering bags,[ie end product inventory], each of which usually contains approximately one gram of the leaf. As coffee can be decaffeinated, coca tea can also be decocainized. Just like "decaf" coffee does retain a minute quantity of caffeine, "de-cocainated" coca tea will still contain a minute quantity of organic coca alkaloids. When the coca is not made into cocaine, through chemical synthesis,[ie solvent free'] the amount of coca is small enough for the product to legally sell in the USA according to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.Furthermore as defined by Generally recgonized as Safe Standards,or GRASS COMMITTEE consultant to our F.D.A, decocainized means solvent free. In the 1980s the tea was used to wean cocaine addicts off the drug.[2] Consumers in the U.S.A. need to be aware of current drug testing methodologies. Contrary to popular belief, drug tests in the U.S.A. do not test for white powder cocaine (cocaine HCI) in urine drug tests; instead the drug test tests for benzoylecgonine. Due to similarity of chemicals to illicit cocaine production in current drug testing reagants and gas spectrometers extraction methods of obtaining coca for testing, anyone who consumes any coca products will test positive for benzoylecgonine if a urinalysis is done within 48 hrs. of ingestion.Furthermore the unit of measure,ie nanogram, used in these test is not visual to any human eye.
The coca plant comprises four main species and varieties of Erythroxylum coca (often spelled koka in Quechua and Aymara), a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to northwestern South America.
Though also known as mate, mate de coca has very little in common with the yerba mate drink in Uruguay and Argentina. Mate de coca is always drunk as a tea, rather than through a straw.
Classification and nomenclature
Coca tea comes from the coca plant, which has the biological name Erythroxylum coca and is from the family Erythroxylaceae. It is often called "la Hoja de Coca" (the leaf of coca).
Characteristics
Coca Tea is a natural product. The tea preserves all of the physical-organic properties of the coca leaf. The product fulfills the Technical Bolivian and Peruvian Standards and can be sold nationally, although such use is being discouraged in part by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
The tea is greenish yellow in color and has a mild bitter flavor similar to green tea with a more organic sweetness.
In South American Culture
Medicinal Use
Coca tea consumption is common in many South American countries. Many indigenous people of the Andes mountain range also use the tea for medicinal and religious purposes.[3][6]
Tourism
On the "Inca Trail" to Machu Picchu, guides usually serve coca tea with every meal because it is widely believed to alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness.[7][8]
Most domestic flights to mountainous regions, such as Cusco, offer Coca tea during the flight to help the traveller adapt to the altitude. Coca tea is often recommended for people arriving to high altitude regions.
Traditionally, official governmental persons traveling to La Paz in Bolivia, located at almost 4,000 meters above mean sea level, are greeted with a mate de coca. News reports noted that Princess Anne and the late Pope John Paul II were served the beverage during their visits to the country. [citation needed]
See further
- Coca eradication
- Coca-Cola, an international soft drink which now contains no cocaine
- Coca Colla, a similar Bolivian drink but which still contains Coca
- Huallaga Valley
- Mate (beverage)
References
- ^ a b Coca leaves not hallucinogenic – Comunidad Boliviana in Argentina Template:Es icon
- ^ a b Erythroxylum Cataractarum – cocaine.org.
- ^ a b Cocaina Template:Es icon.
- ^ How To Make Cocaine HCl.
- ^ Jenkins AJ, Llosa T, Montoya I, Cone EJ (1996). "Identification and quantitation of alkaloids in coca tea". Forensic Sci Int. 77 (3): 179–89. PMC 2705900. PMID 8819993.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Substances that produce addiction – University of Buenos Aires Template:Es icon.
- ^ What's the best way to prevent altitude sickness?
- ^ Altitude Sickness – Soroche, Cusco by Virtual Tourist
External links
- The Coca Museum (A private museum in La Paz, Bolivia)
- Coca – Cocaine website of the Transnational Institute (TNI)
- Coca leaf news page – Alcohol and Drugs History Society