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Herbs & Cultures

Local African healing traditions →

Kinkeliba tea

The morning tea of Senegal and its neighbours, made from the leaves of a Sahel shrub.

Traditional use

Time
15 minutes
Makes
4 cups
Kinkeliba

In Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso many people drink kinkeliba in the morning instead of black tea or coffee, often with sugar and sometimes with mint. The dried leaves are sold at the market.

Ingredients

  • A good handful (about 10 g) of dried kinkeliba leaves
  • 1 litre water
  • To taste: sugar and a sprig of mint

Step by step

  1. Bring the water and leaves to the boil.
  2. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes: the longer, the darker and more bitter.
  3. Strain and sweeten to taste. Add a sprig of mint if you like.

Tips

  • Kinkeliba contains no caffeine, so you can drink it in the evening too.

Registry

Herbs in this recipe

Read more about effects and safety on each herb’s page.

  • Caution

    Africa · Herb · № 806

    Kinkeliba

    Combretum micranthum

    The leaves are drunk as an everyday tea; traditionally also for fever and digestive complaints. Little studied scientifically.

    Local African healing traditions

Cultures and traditions

Where the herbs come from

The herbs in this recipe also appear in these traditions.