Wize Monkey launches antioxidant-rich tea made from upcycled arabica coffee leaves

09 Sep 2019 --- Canadian company Wize Monkey is upcycling the prunings of the arabica coffee plant to create a tea product that is similar to black tea in its flavor profile and offers a “light and steady” caffeine (20mg per 8oz) kick. Coffee leaves prepared as a tea have been commonly consumed by coffee communities of Ethiopia and Indonesia for several centuries under the name of “kuti” in Ethiopia and “kawa don” in Indonesia.

“We're the first people in history to 'crack the code' on processing arabica coffee leaves into a world-class tea,” Arnaud Petitvallet, Co-Founder and COO of Wize Monkey tells FoodIngredientsFirst. “It has been consumed for hundreds of years in different parts of the world as a sun-dried leaf, but has never been processed into a smooth tea until we crafted it with tea-inspired methods.”

The antioxidant-rich beverage is presented as a good source of fiber, protein, iron, potassium and calcium, in addition to providing anti-inflammatory benefits. The leaves also contain all the essential amino acids, notes the company.

TBrewed coffee tea by Wize Monkey.his new tea is further facilitating the creation of year-round jobs during the coffee offseason. This has seen the gathering of coffee leaves for the upcycling process generate a new stable income for farming communities in Nicaragua, where 100 percent of the material is sourced.

“We target mostly millennial drinkers, with 87 percent of millennials drinking tea and being the first North American generation to enjoy tea as much as coffee,” says Petitvallet. “They come for our unique taste and stay for the social impact story. They have strong intentions when it comes to health, fitness and overall impact on people and the planet. They want to be part of the solution, not the problem.”

The company’s second target demographic are the Generation X consumers who are looking to build sustainable healthy new habits and cut down on heavy coffee drinking, which Petitvallet notes can lead to stress, bad sleep and gut problems, among other adverse reactions. “They see this new product as a healthy alternative to their coffee. It is from the same plant but provides a smoother experience and allows them to connect with the modern, hip branding,” he adds.

“We started with pyramid tea bags, which is an easy way to enjoy our product. Our launch had our Original (unflavored) along with a Mango and a Mint version of the tea. We then added several classic tea flavors such as Earl Grey, Jasmine and Ginger Lemon, but the Original remained our best-seller due to its unique taste,” says Petitvallet.Wize Monkey Coffee gift set.

In 2018, the brand launched loose leaf tins of the product, which became the consumer-favored format for its online sales. Over the summer, Wize Monkey launched the first stone-ground Coffee Leaf Powder, similar to culinary matcha, for customers to use in baking and cooking applications, and in drinks such as smoothies and lattes. 

“We’re also collaborating with exciting brands to create kombuchas, beer or chocolates featuring our Coffee Leaf Tea. Customers are always getting behind those projects, so we don't feel like we need to branch out of the coffee leaves right away,” says Petitvallet. “If anything, we'll begin to feature more farmers from around the world to create varieties of flavor profiles, just like in the tea world.”

Wize Monkey is currently working on expanding its product range with fermented versions of traditional teas (such as green tea), which are processed in a similar manner to pu'erh tea. “We have conducted research on some samples we have created, and not only does their taste completely changes from the current version we have (which is closer to a oolong), but the health benefits also shift,” explains Petitvallet. 

“Our green tea packs more antioxidants than a traditional green tea, while darker versions are showing a dual effect in nitric oxide production, ultimately helping to reduce inflammation and lowering blood pressure. We are also working on a ready-to-drink version of our tea, relying on the natural sweetness of the leaf to remove any need for sugars and artificial sweeteners.

Wize Monkey provides jobs to Nicaraguan coffee farmers during the offseason.Upcycled is trending
Critically, more than one billion metric tons of food are collectively lost or wasted every year along the food supply chain, and solutions to prevent further misuse are highly sought after across industry. The burgeoning trend of upcycling presents new potential for food waste repurposed as value-added products.

Last month, agriculture-biotechnology company Arbiom was spotlighted for its emergent technology that converts upcycled wood into protein for human consumption. The US-based company specializes in using a fermentation technique to turn wood into SylPro, a yeast single-cell protein that can be used as a replacement for plant protein concentrates or for fishmeal.

In June, Wine Water, Ltd. launched Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon-essence water in a bid to refresh the “infused water” landscape and keep pace with the demand for alcohol-free and all-natural beverages. The two beverages are comprised of purified water and the “hidden nutritional benefit” of upcycled wine grape residue, transforming the leftovers from the winemaking process into aromatic, indulgent essence waters.

In January, scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU), developed an all-natural food stabilizer from the upcycled seeds of the durian fruit. The durian, a thorny fruit known for its unique taste and smell, is popularly dubbed the King of Fruits in Southeast Asia. The fruit’s seeds (about 3-4 cm in diameter) are normally thrown away after the flesh is consumed, but using a patented technique to harvest the thick gum from the seeds, an NTU team has shown that it could be repurposed for use as a natural food stabilizer.

Similarly, startup Innovation Challenge Renewal Mill specializes in upcycling byproducts from food manufacturing into high-quality ingredients and products. The company’s mission is two-fold: to extract value out of food system byproducts and to address the lack of affordable nutrition in food deserts. Through its proprietary technology, the company transforms organic, high-fiber food byproduct streams into nutritious raw ingredients. Their first ingredient, organic okara flour has “six times the fiber and a better taste than current alternative flours at 20 percent of the price.” 

By Benjamin Ferrer