This month we are headed to Guinea West Africa for three unique teas.
On the streets of Conakry...this man is selling tea!!
I want to make one of these!!
In 2018 I went to Conakry, West Africa and taught a class on tea.
I was excited to do a tea for Africa, a tea that I had actually experienced when I was in Conakry in 2018.
It is interesting that a lot of countries do Attaya, but each place does it a little differently. I did Attaya in Mali West Africa in 2006 and it was nothing like the Attaya I did in 2018. I love that they each make it a little different and custom to their areas.
The table set and Earl Grey is watching for guest to arrive....
I added decor on the table that I had picked up in Africa.
Tea #1 was Kenkeliba....We ended up drinking it last, but I prepared it first. I showed them the leaves and talked about the tea and then set it in a kettle to steep for 20 minute's or so.
KENKELIBA
A couple hand fulls dried Kinkeliba leaves to a pot with a 4 cups of boiling water
Boil for 20-30 minutes until the water turns orangey-red (to make a weaker tea steep a tablespoon of leaves in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes)
(Optional) Add sugar or honey to sweeten or mint, lemon.
In some parts of Africa they drink this tea three times First with lemon, then during the day they let the leaves brew- it is now weaker and they add milk the next two times.
Kinkeliba Tea, also known as Seh-Haw,, or infusion of long life, is good for lowering blood pressure, alleviating digestive issues, colic, and vomiting. It can also be used on your hair to strengthen dry brittle hair.
Earl Grey eagerly watched and was excited to see what people thought about this tea.
The overall feeling was that this tea (Kenkeliba) was not great....even when you added the lemon to it. I thought it was okay, but not a horrible. Some said it was horrible.
Next was Attaya. This was the main attraction
ATTAYA
Here is my Guinea Attaya tea experience from 2018....
Round one you have the tea in the kettle on the fire- in the kettle is tea leaves and water. You let the water heat up and then once it is ready you pour the tea into a cup to make the foam. You will then add water back into the kettle to make more tea- this is steeping again while you make the foam.
There is a filter in the tea kettle to keep the leaves from coming out as you pour into the cup- but some leaves do come out. So, you take the cup of tea and slowly pour it into another cup letting the leaves stay at the bottom of the first cup. Once the second cup of tea is filled and there are no tea leaves in the cup, you take the first cup with the leaves and pour it back into the kettle to make more tea for the next round.
Then you take the two cups and pour back and forth and back and forth, repeating .....this makes your foam. You are making the foam- that is why you have two cups.
When you have enough foam you take the kettle of tea off the fire. You pour the tea into the individuals cups and then add the foam.
When serving it you also have peanuts that can be added into the tea.
Round two is like round one, but you are adding some sugar (1" of sugar in the cup) into the tea that makes the foam. The pouring back and forth also helps mix up the sugar.
You pour the tea into the individuals cups and then add the foam.
When serving it you also have peanuts that can be added into the tea.
Round three is unique and wonderful! It taste nothing like the other two rounds!!
Put two cough drops in the small kettle with a little water (no leaves)- jut enough water to make a syrup- keep close to the heat- but do not let it burn in the bottom.
Take the other pot with the leaves and steep, it could take up to 1/2 hour. Take your two plastic cups- in one cup put an 1" of sugar, in the other pour the tea slowly in- trying to keep the leaves out. Then pour the cup of tea into the cup of sugar, slowly still to catch the leaves. Throw the leaves out of the big pot. Clean out the large pot.
There is no foam in this round. You are pouring back and forth to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved pour the tea in to the big pot. Then add the condensed milk.
Check the small pot stirring to be sure the candy is dissolved, and not burning. Add the small pot of tea to the large top.
Crush the cookies into a fine dust and add to the large pot. Take the vanilla and add it the large pot too. Stir until dissolved as much as possible.
Put on the heat to warm, continue to stir so nothing burns.
You'll see a butteryness on the top, keep stirring so the cookies don't go to the bottom.
Then serve, this round is called White Hot. It is almost like a latte, it is completely different then the other two rounds.
The first round of tea was super bitter. I mean really bitter!! Life in Guinea is hard, so the first round is bitter like life and you just have to get through it.
The second round is love and it is a little sweeter.
The third round is friendship, it is the sweetest of all- also called White Hot
I brought home a complete Attaya tea set!! I can not wait to make some tea for my friends.
The Attaya Tea
The cough drops
The cookies
also can be the cookies
The vanilla Sugar
You also need dry roasted peanuts and condensed milk.
2023 Attaya Tea at Kerrie's
Showing the tea pot and supplies used to make the tea. I did not make mine over a fire since I made it inside.
Mixing the tea and sugar and getting it to froth.
Guests trying round 1.
Round one was super bitter and not really enjoyed. But, then that can be life in Guinea too.
They are ready for round 2.
They thought Round 2 was almost too sweet. I put an inch of sugar in the cup!!!!
You can see they add peanuts to the tea.
Preparing for Round 3.
Amy smashed the cookies for me. The cookies kind of tasted like animal crackers.
Round 3 was enjoyed. They were amazed at all that went into round 3...sugar, vanilla sugar, mint cough drops, cookies (tea biscuits), and condensed milk.
Earl Grey likes to hang out and be apart of the teas...
Here is a man carrying the Potty Pots, these are used to wash your backside. I cleaned mine really well and I use them as tea pots for iced tea, lol!
BISSAP
I am a big fan of hibiscus tea. I enjoy it both hot and cold. But, mostly I enjoy it cold. I love to get the passion tea at Starbucks- with half the pumps of syrup. A few years ago my friend went to Guinea and brought me back some hibiscus dried flowers. She explained that in Guinea they made a tea there and it was called Bissap. She made me some and I really enjoyed it- it was super sweet, but I really enjoyed it. I long ago ran out of the flowers she bought for me.
So, in February when I was in Conakry Guinea I knew I had to buy some hibiscus in the market. Below is a picture of my friends with a man they bought some items from in the market. Behind them is the small booth where I bought my hibiscus. The bags of hibiscus are like .10 a bag. I bought a lot of bags.
Above is the market we were in, the tiny isles held a variety of items for sale- material, spices, food, and more. It was filed with a multitude of smells and colors.
I made the bissap ahead of time. I made it with straight up Hibiscus, sugar, and vanilla sugar. I made it in a mason and then strained it through a mesh to keep the flowers out of the tea.
Bissap
Alternative names: Bissap, sobolo, sorrel
Variations: Ginger, mint, and vanilla sugar
Bissap is just hibiscus and sugar! A lot of sugar!!! I did not add as much sugar as they do.
Then I let the hibiscus steep in hot water for 10 minutes or so, then chill.
1 to 2 cups of Bissap (sorrel or Roselle or flor de jamaica)
1/2 of a cup of sugar (to taste)
6 – 12 cups water
2 table spoons of grated ginger (as you like)
Rinse the leaves in cold water to get rid of dirt.
Bring 1 liter of water to a gentle simmer in a large pot.
Put in the Bissap dried flower and ginger and allow the water to come to a strong boil. Boil for some minutes.
Turn off the heat and pour the juice through a sieve into a large bowl
Return the Bissap flower to the pot and cover with another liter of water.
Strain this second batch of juice into the first batch of juice.
Continue adding fresh water and straining until the color lightens.
Sieve all of the juice one more time.
Add sugar and flavor.
Chill the juice in the refrigerator or serve over ice.
Here I am explaining the teapots...
These "teapots" are actually made in Conakry. I think they are so pretty.
The Bissap was enjoyed by all, some said that was their favorite.
