Loquat Tea

So it is spring here in Florida and I have been gifted by my friends with loquat fruit, leaves, and even a plant. Read more about Loquat here.

I have been coming up with ways of enjoying this seasonal fruit, for example, check out my Vegan Loquat Cheesecake recipe. Loquat leaves, when boiled, makes a wonderful tea, so I decided to try that as well.

I have been making herbal teas all my life. It was part of our culture growing up in Jamaica to have a hot beverage for breakfast. It could either be mint tea, other herbs, or a hot chocolate beverage (Milo).

Later on, when I moved to England, tea drinking was even more popular. It appeared as if my friend’s kettles were permanently boiling water on their stoves.

Every time I would visit, the first thing they asked me is, ‘would you like a cup of tea mate?’

When I moved to the USA, it definitely wasn’t as popular to drink tea throughout the day, not unless you were a shift worker. 

As my love from herbal teas grew, I developed a passion for exploring all kinds of herbs and their benefits and as we moved throughout the East Coast.

In the little time we spent in Ohio, I had to learn to depend more upon the herbs that were close to my immediate surroundings.

To learn more, I visited farmers’ markets, attend foraging classes and tours, and joined many groups on social media about native plants. 

In New Jersey, we enjoyed red clover, mullein, and plantain. When we moved to Virginia, we enjoyed wild lettuce, dandelion, red clover, milk thistle, burdock, echinacea, and goldenseal.

In Ohio, we had lots of nettles, St. John’s Wort, passionflower, and chicory. 

Now in Florida, there are many of my favorite herbs that don’t grow well where I live because the soil is so sandy. I have been learning to adjust and utilize the herbs in my region. 

What Is Herbal Infusion?

The herbal infusion method is the best way of capturing the flavors and oils of the plant. The leaves, flowers, root, and bark of the plant are steeped in boiling water to create a beverage. 

Loquat Leaf Tea Health Benefits

Most people who enjoy eating loquat fruit aren’t familiar with the health benefits of the loquat leaves.

In Japan, the loquat leaves (Eriobotrya japonica) are used to make a delicious tea.

Fortunately, loquat leaves have been studied and now there are scientific validations on the many health benefits of loquat leaves. 

Research has shown that loquat leaves contain a compound called Triterpenoids, which are known for their anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Read more here.

Loquat leaves can be applied in topical form as creams to combat acne and other skin conditions, due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

The anti-inflammatory benefits extend to the lungs, possibly soothing coughs, asthmatic conditions and relieving pain, read more here.

Loquat leaves are high in antioxidants, which fight against free radical damage,

Research has shown that consuming the leaves is beneficial to combat diabetes, liver disease, and cancer, read more here.

Where Can I Buy Loquat Leaves Tea?

Loquat plants can be purchased at nurseries, farmers market, the dried loose leaves are sold online or as teabags.

How To Make Loquat Leaf Tea?

Things You’ll Need

1. Water – Fresh cold filtered spring water of the highest quality is best for brewing the best tea.
2. Boiling water is needed to infuse the loquat leaves to extract the flavors. 
3. Stainless steel pot, kettle – Using stainless steel doesn’t affect the final taste of tea. Do not use aluminum pots or kettle. 
4. Knife – scrape and cut the leaves into strips
5. Cup 

Pick about 2 tender leaves. The top should be glossy and the bottom furry.

The fur underside of the leaves needs to be removed. Take a knife or a new dish scrubbing pad and scrape off the fur off the leaves.

It is believed that the furry coating on the underside has the potential to cause throat irritation.

Rinse the leaves under cold running water, dry the leaves with a paper towel or clean dishcloth. 

Remove the veins and chop the leaves into pieces. Heat cold water in a pot or kettle on medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Add chopped loquat leaves to the pot or kettle of boiling water, cover pot reduce heat to simmer leaves for 5 minutes, turn of heat allow the tea to steep for 10-20 minutes

 Strain the tea from the pot. Tea is ready to drink. You can sweeten it with your favorite sweetener; I enjoyed mine with stevia.

Side Effects Of Loquat Leaves

Loquat tea is consumed daily in Asian countries now for thousands of years. There is only one reported case of a 39-year male developing toxic myopathy after drinking 2 liters of loquat leaf tea daily for 2 weeks.

He drank the loquat leaf tea to reduce his triglyceride levels. Although his levels were significantly reduced he developed muscle weakness and pain particularly in his arms.

He was admitted to the hospital where he was given intravenous fluids. Three days later he was discharged where he continued to drink loquat leaf tea at a lower dose.

Other Amazing Great Posts

• Golden Turmeric Tea
• Detox Tea Recipe
• How Many Teaspoons In A Tablespoon

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag #healthiersteps  — we love to see your recipes on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter!

Also please leave a star rating ;-)

Need some encouragement on your Healthier Steps journey?

Join our Facebook groups, sharing lots of delicious vegan and gluten-free recipes, health tips, etc., from our members. Please join us and invite your friends Gluten-Free and Vegan For Beginners and Vegan Recipes With Love.