Few people are truly aware of how long coca (Erythoroxylum coca) has already been in use. In fact, coca leaf, coca leaf tea or mate de coca has been used for at least 3000 years in South America evidenced by the fact that traces of coca were found in prehistoric mummies. Evidences had also been discovered that the people of Northern Peru had been chewing coca leaves with lime for more than 8000 years. Many indigenous populations were able to attest the health benefits of coca tea which were more popularly consumed compared to coffee. The Peru coca tea leaves was and is still considered as "The Incas Sacred Tea Herbs" which plays an integral part in the Andean culture.
Peru Coca Tea or Mate De Coca, since ancient times till today, is used in many aspects of the lives of the Andean people. The Peru coca is used in many sacred rituals which are still being carried out since Ancient times. Before giving birth, women will consume and chew coca or the content of the Mate De Coca filtrant tea which can help in hastening labour and easing labour pains. After the child is born, the relatives will celebrate the occassion by chewing the Peru coca leaf together. When a young guy intends to marry the lady of his choice, he will offer Peru coca to her father. Peru coca is again used when somebody dies whereby a pile of coca leaves will be placed in the coffin before burial.
Coca in it's natural state is actually harmless as otherwise thought by millions of people. It is akin to potatoes sometimes containing neurotoxins or apple seeds containing cyanide which are actually little cause for alarm as the chemicals even though poisonuous are really quite innocuous when consumption is in really small amounts.
Coca leaves or coca powder are good sources of vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, calcium, riboflavin and phosphorous. They are usually consumed in a few ways - for recreational usage, medical usage, as a tea with religious significance or divinations as well as chewed like tobacco by both tourists and farmers to combat altitude sickness.
The Peru coca tea or Mate De Coca is a powerful medicinal green tea that is made from coca leaves extracted from the Coca Plant (Erythroxylum), comes with a slight sweet flavour and is often served warm or hot as an infusion or in coca tea bags or coca filters. You can even add a teaspoon of Peru coca powder to a bowl of custard or even a glass of juice, Adding sodium bicarbonate into the coca powder will help to absorb the alkaloids much faster into the bloodstream. To get better result, just hold the coca powder in the mouth for a while to give time for your salivary glands to absorb the coca powder fully. This will help in increasing the intensity and speeding up the on-set of the effects.