Bitter Leaf Tea

Sweet African Bitter Leaf

It started during the most hectic part of 2025.

It was Spring. Our CSA (farm share program) was launching and we were battling production delays. Our well installation was behind schedule. The Spring was extremely wet and cool and I was building partnerships with small farmers to supply our members with a variety of produce options.

Coincidentally, a culinary historian introduced me to Dr. Patience Fielding from Esther Manor Farm. Patience is an educator and farmer from Cameroon who’s been cultivating African produce for the past 4 years… all from her farm in Beaverdam, Va. On top of that, she hosts an annual African farm-to-table event with Cameroonian dishes, dancers, and drummers. Bill and I went to one in October and it was amazing! I'll save that story for another time...

What is bitterleaf?

Bitter Leaf at Esther Manor Farm

This plant comes with a warning for my fellow Americans with a sweet tooth: I sampled raw bitter leaf and it. is. bitter. Bitterness isn’t a flavor profile that you’ll find very much in American cuisine but you’ll definitely find it in a variety of West African dishes.

Bitter leaf is also used for medicinal purposes. According to Patience, monkeys in the wild are known to munch on bitter leaf when they feel sick. It’s also consumed as a tea.

On my first tour of her farm, Patience introduced me to mostly unknown African produce, but there ended up being a few things that I recognized and for good reason.

Sweet Bitter Leaf

During the Transatlantic Slave Trade, enslaved West Africans came to the South with various skills, some of which were cooking and agricultural. Virginia, along with other slave states, had a similar climate to many of these countries. So, it stands to reason that many crops that were native to West Africa, would grow well here. Crops like okra, black eyed peas, and now bitter leaf (to name just a few) have the African-Virginian connection.

Allow me to dive into some farming nerdery for a moment...

There are dozens of crops that connect the American South to West Africa.  One crop, in particular, was discovered when I visited Patience's farm.  

Patience kept telling me about an ingredient that Cameroonians call Jamin Jamin. I was excited to try it when she showed me the seedling in April. By the time, I came back in July and saw this mature shrub, I realized that it was an ingredient that I just grew from seed…Huckleberry!  

Now back to bitter leaf.

There are different varieties of bitter leaf that made their way from Africa to the Caribbean where bitter leaf is still being used for medicinal and culinary purposes. When the Sharpe Scholars from William and Mary visited a couple of months ago, a few of them grew up with bitter leaf. Two were from African countries and one was from the Caribbean. They all had tales of borderline childhood traumas with it. They were forced to drink bitter leaf tea when they weren't feeling well before bedtime, and would inevitably wake up feel better in the morning!

We’re now selling a limited supply of bitter leaf tea that was grown organically at Esther Manor Farm. You can purchase it on JollysFarmstand.com starting December 16th.

Once dehydrated, this variety wasn't as bitter as the raw bitter leaf that I tried this summer. It has it earthy, almost matcha flavor. To be on the safe side, I only use 1 teaspoon of bitter leaf to make a 12oz cup of tea.  If you're curious and you want to give bitter leaf a shot, try ours and let us know how you like to brew it. For our African and Caribbean customers, let us know what you think. Does this remind you of home… or do you have a borderline childhood trauma with bitter leaf? 😉