Dark leaves, distinctive character.
Discover the fruity sweetness and gentle caramel notes of DARK.
| Ingredients | 100% Guayusa · oxidised and fermented |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ecuador · chakra forest gardens |
| Flavour | Fruity and sweet, with a hint of caramel |
| Preparation | 1–2 tsp per 350 ml · boiling water · steep for 5–10 minutes or longer |
| Format | Loose ingredients for brewing |
| Cost per serving · example | €0.25 EUR |
100 g ÷ 2.5 g = 40 servings. This is an example serving size; how much you use depends on your preparation.
Guayusa from Ecuador
After harvesting, Guayusa DARK (oxidised/fermented Guayusa) is air-dried for several days. It is processed in a similar way to green tea that is made into black tea. Even so, it does not taste bitter; instead, it has light caramel and berry notes.
Guayusa PURE, by contrast, is dried immediately after harvesting.


Health properties
The natural pick-me-up in DARK is caffeine from Guayusa leaves. It stimulates the central nervous system and can support your attention and reduce feelings of tiredness. DARK brings this pick-me-up to your cup with its own flavour profile: slow drying and oxidation create its light caramel and berry notes.
More than caffeine: Guayusa contains antioxidant plant compounds, including chlorogenic acids from the polyphenol group. They are part of the leaves’ natural composition. The interaction between L-theanine and caffeine is also a topic of interest: researchers study this amino acid together with caffeine, including in relation to attention and information processing.
Many studies now look at specifically dosed individual compounds. We’ve brought together findings and background information in our blog about L-theanine and caffeine, as well as in the Guayusa Wiki articles on L-theanine and antioxidants.
A warm start to the morning, a mindful pause before your next task or a pot to share: DARK fits into your day when you want to enjoy Guayusa with fruitier, less grassy notes. Prepare it on its own or combine it with ginger, orange or cinnamon. On warm days, you can also prepare DARK as a cold brew – see the next section for how.
Start with one or two teaspoons per 350 ml of water and a steeping time of five to ten minutes. Adjust your tea to your taste by changing the amount of leaves and the steeping time. Darker leaves do not automatically mean more caffeine: the amount used and the preparation are among the factors that matter. Take your personal caffeine sensitivity into account and enjoy DARK earlier in the day if you’re sensitive to caffeine.


In three steps
Add 1–2 teaspoons of tea to the infuser for 350 ml of water.
Pour boiling water directly into the infuser.
Steep for 5–10 minutes or longer. Remove the infuser and enjoy.
Pour 1–2 teaspoons of Guayusa leaves into 350 ml of boiling water. Leave to steep for 5–10 minutes, depending on how strong you like it.
Also great with orange tea, ginger, lemongrass, ishpingo and hibiscus tea.
GUYA DARK can be prepared with boiling water. The tea won’t turn bitter, even with very long steeping times. After about 10–15 minutes, most of the active compounds have transferred into the water. A longer steep brings out a slightly stronger flavour.
For cold brew, we recommend steeping for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours. An 8-hour overnight steep is ideal.
Preparation and serving ideas
Discover the fruity sweetness and gentle caramel notes of DARK.
Brew, steep and enjoy your DARK moment.
Explore green PURE and dark DARK to find your favourite flavour.
The story behind your GUYA
What makes DARK different from PURE? Watch the video to discover this slow-dried variety and learn more about its berry-like, slightly caramel notes.
Our organic Guayusa tea DARK is a distinctive evolution of PURE. We dry the fresh Guayusa leaves for considerably longer than we do for PURE.
This creates oxidation and fermentation in the leaves. As with black tea, the leaves darken, but unlike black tea, this process makes our organic Guayusa tea sweeter and fruitier, with a subtle caramel note. The earthy, grassy note found in PURE becomes less pronounced.
DARK is just as strong as PURE. It is a great way to enjoy a different flavour on different days of the week while keeping the same alert feeling.
Looking for a relaxed, alert feeling? Our organic Guayusa energy tea gives you the boost you need. Guayusa leaves naturally contain beneficial compounds also found in coffee, cocoa and green tea, while the tea itself is not bitter. Give it a try!
For research-based background on the effects of Guayusa, visit the Guayusa Wiki and the Detox-Tee Wiki.
You can be sure that we’re more than just resellers of Guayusa. On our YouTube channel, you’ll find short documentaries and vlogs featuring our farmers in Ecuador. We show you transparently how we work together and how your Guayusa is produced.