A New Day for Yaupon Tea
Spring 2019 | By Gene Kruckemyer聽 麻豆精品 S�73
Sit back, relax, and enjoy a sip of tea from the only caffeinated plant native to North America 麻豆精品 S� an antioxidant-laden, jitterfree drink that 麻豆精品 S檚 been consumed for more than 10,000 years. Its name is yaupon [pronounced yoh-pon], and while popular in the distant past, it became known more as an ornamental rather than a food source in the last century.
That is, until brothers Bryon White 麻豆精品 S�09聽and Kyle, a senior majoring in event management, decided to revive the ancient superfood and create a new product for 21st-century tea drinkers.
Grown in the southeastern United States, yaupon holly was traded by Native Americans to make tea for ceremonies and recreation. During the Civil War, Southerners often drank yaupon tea in place of coffee and black tea.
麻豆精品 S淵aupon is such a great edible plant, and it deserves a spot in your cupboard, 麻豆精品 S� says Bryon, who earned a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in legal studies at UCF.
The Yaupon Brothers Tea Co. started in 2012, and a year later it became the first processor and grower of yaupon to earn USDA organic certification. The brothers project that the ongoing trend toward natural foods and herbal teas will boost sales in the coming years.
麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e got a lot of happy customers, 麻豆精品 S� Bryon says. 麻豆精品 S淪ome of them appreciate the novelty of the product, and some just like the way it tastes and that it 麻豆精品 S檚 grown right here in Florida. 麻豆精品 S�
The brothers have a 12-acre farm in New Smyrna Beach, several land leases throughout the state, a production facility in Edgewater, and they helped start the American Yaupon Association with nine other new companies to promote yaupon.
They also promote yaupon business opportunities to farmers, especially citrus growers whose crops have been hit by harsh weather and disease the past several years.
麻豆精品 S淲ith yaupon being native, it does not need any fertilizer or pesticides and requires very little water, 麻豆精品 S� Kyle says. 麻豆精品 S淭his leads to a crop that is more profitable for farmers while leaving less environmental impact on its surrounding area.”
麻豆精品 S淭o us, it 麻豆精品 S檚 a no-brainer. Americans should be drinking more yaupon. 麻豆精品 S�Kyle White
Who
Bryon and Kyle White
The Inspiration
Bryon said the brothers read about Native American consumption of yaupon and were intrigued. 麻豆精品 S淲e thought that if it tasted good, somebody would already be making a product from it, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut upon researching this, we couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 find any yaupon products for sale. 麻豆精品 S�
The Pitch
A native-grown tea that provides a jitter-free caffeine boost and is a potent source of antioxidants. 麻豆精品 S淸More than 150] million Americans drink tea every day, and basically all of it is imported from overseas. Yaupon provides the same benefits 麻豆精品 S� and it grows right here [in Florida], 麻豆精品 S� Bryon says.
Backers
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 2017 Joust New Venture Competition ($62,000)
Rally: The Social Enterprises Accelerator ($25,000)
Where You Can Find It
85 U.S. stores, 17 stores in London, 13 in Ireland, and locally at Lucky 麻豆精品 S檚 Market, Downtown Credo, Infusion Tea, Dandelion Communitea Caf茅 and others. It can also be found on Amazon聽and YauponBrothers.com.
Yaupon is native to the southeastern United States from Virginia to Florida to Texas and grows up to 20 feet tall. It produces bright red berries during winter months but unlike most hollies, the leaves are not prickly.
The plant is a close cousin of the South American yerba mat茅 and the teas are similar in flavor and quality. Bryon said the tea is mild with very little tannin, so it 麻豆精品 S檚 not normally bitter. Most consumers describe it as vegetal, slightly sweet and grassy, he says.
麻豆精品 S淵aupon 麻豆精品 S� is derived from the Catawban tribe 麻豆精品 S檚 word 麻豆精品 S測apa, 麻豆精品 S� which means 麻豆精品 S渓eaf of the tree. 麻豆精品 S� In Florida, Timucua people referred to it as 麻豆精品 S渁si, 麻豆精品 S� which loosely translates to 麻豆精品 S渢he purifier. 麻豆精品 S� In addition to drinking yaupon tea casually 麻豆精品 S渢hey used yaupon frequently as a part of pre-battle rituals to give them energy, making a tea known as black drink and consuming it in large quantities, 麻豆精品 S� Bryon says.