Lemongrass our new Guayusa variety

Lemongrass or "Lemongrass" and Guayusa, that's our new variety. Extremely refreshing, especially with a dash of lemon, both as an iced tea and as a hot drink!
We don't just tell, we also do! At the beginning of the year we asked you about your new favorite variety and the majority of you voted for lemongrass. This makes "Lemongrass" our first real community variety. In addition to lemongrass, which is called Hierba Luisa in Ecuador, the hibiscus variety Flor de Jamaica and the cinnamon leaf Ispingo were also on the list. All three plants grow together with Guayusa and therefore offer the perfect combination. We can support the farmers twice over and offer you another biodynamic product.

WHAT IS LEMONGRASS

In appearance, lemongrass is a huge bush composed of long, thin and flat leaves/culms. These contain an ethnic oil which is in demand worldwide and is used as a natural medicine in many countries. The oil is applied directly to the skin or inhaled together with steam. As with so many natural remedies, no concrete statement can be made about possible positive effects about lemongrass in Europe. Lemongrass smells and tastes lemony or citrus-like. Brewed in the tea, a fresh, gentle citrus taste is created. Check out this article for recipe ideas.

WHERE DOES OUR LEMONGRASS COME FROM?

Like our Guayusa, our lemongrass comes from Ecuador. Together with our partner community, we have been looking for new and suitable foods to combine with guayusa. The forest gardens of the Kichwa indigenous people are so rich in different plants that we want to create another source of income in this way. So our lemongrass grows right next to our Guayusa trees.

HARVESTING LEMONGRASS

As with Guayusa, lemongrass is harvested by hand and with the support of all family and friends. The stalks, which can be up to 1.5 m long, are cut off with a machete. Next, they are collected in one place and then tied into small packages. These are in turn stacked in large sacks and then carried with manpower to the agreed collection point. This can be several minutes away. In the case of our filmed harvest, approx. 20 minutes. If you want to get a detailed impression of the harvest, processing and cooperation with the farmers, we recommend watching our YouTube video on lemongrass. As with Guayusa, we want to create a transparent supply chain for our customers .

COOPERATION

The cooperative partnership runs through the municipality of WINAK. More than 600 families are affiliated with this cooperative community, for example cultivating guayusa, cocoa, lemongrass, bananas and yuka (many more, of course). When joining the cooperative, each family specifies which plants they want to grow and sell, as many are only grown for their own use. Through this register we were able to find the right farmers for our lemongrass needs.

PAY

Farmers are paid through the cooperative. It is not based on the world market or a fair trade price but on the actual work performance. The price of our lemongrass is three times higher than on the German organic wholesale market for tea goods. This price does not yet include transport costs and no certification costs. Here it becomes clear again what FairTrade actually means and how little a seal is really worth.

YOUTUBE DOCUMENTATION

For our community we want to be more than just a Guayusa supplier. We want to inspire, motivate and together with you to improve the world in the areas where we can make an impact. You will also find a detailed YouTube video about our new variety about origin, cultivation, cooperation and processing. We look forward to your feedback and constructive criticism.