Kawakawa Fire
A bold, caffeine-free herbal infusion featuring New Zealand kawakawa, ginger, and lemongrass—invigorating, warming, and soothing with every sip.
Kawakawa Fire blends earthy native kawakawa from the Bay of Plenty with warming ginger and citrus-bright lemongrass. It brews to a light yellow liquor with a vibrant aroma and a gently spicy, herbal finish. Balanced and bold, it’s a comforting, feel-good cup—especially welcome during cooler days or for a daily pick me up.
Why You'll Love It
- Earthy & Bright: Kawakawa meets ginger warmth and lemongrass lift
- Caffeine-Free: A soothing, anytime herbal infusion
- Customisable Strength: Brew longer to amplify ginger’s invigorating heat
- No Additions Needed: Naturally flavourful and balanced on its own
Origins & Character
Bay of Plenty, Thailand & Rohdesia: Sourced from respected suppliers, this blend combines the boldness of kawakawa with zesty lemongrass and fiery ginger. It reflects both native tradition and tropical warmth.
Tasting Notes: A clean, herbal cup with earthy undertones, citrus brightness, and a gradually warming ginger finish. The liquor is pale yellow with a comforting, revitalising feel.
Functional & Wellness Benefits
- Digestive Support: Kawakawa and ginger are traditionally known to soothe the stomach
- Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Ginger offers natural relief for the body and joints
- Stress-Calming: Lemongrass and kawakawa help balance the nervous system
A customer favourite, Kawakawa Fire is moreish, revitalising, and rooted in wellness tradition. Whether enjoyed for daily calm, seasonal support, or simple herbal pleasure, it’s a versatile, caffeine-free infusion to warm and balance from the inside out.
"More than just tea - it's a taste of Aotearoa's healing traditions in every cup."
Tea bag packaging material
There are generally 3 main types of tea bags: Pyramid shaped tea bags made from PLA – Polylactic Acid (t leaf T only uses this type), old style paper tea bags (usually rectangular and heat sealed), Pyramid shaped tea bags, made from nylon.
PLA tea bags – used by t leaf T – commercially compostable and 100% non-gmo
PLA teabags have been around since the mid 2000’s and they are 100% Plant based (non-petroleum based) and our NeoSoilon® Pyramid Tea bags are derived from sugar cane.
PLA (polylactic acid) is mainly extracted from corn or sugar cane and is then spun into thread which is used to weave the clear material that is used in t leaf T’s teabags.
PLA behaves like a plastic, even though it is plant based, this enables the sealing of the tea bags using ultrasonic vibrations that effectively welds the seams together at a specific temperature without the need of petro-chemical based plastics.
PLA tea bags are 100% INDUSTRIAL or COMMERCIALLY COMPOSTABLE -100% NON-GMO
At t leaf T we would love our PLA tea bags to be easily home compostable, but the technology is not there yet. The technology currently exists to achieve home compostability, however it has the tea bag material breaking down in in a matter of weeks so this material would not be a practical option for a long shelf-life like product like tea.
Old Style Paper Tea Bags
Paper tea bags have been around for almost 100 years. They Require heat sealing to close the tea bag because the paper fibres do not naturally adhere to each other. To be able to seal the tea bags, petro-based nano plastics are blended into the tea bag material by the material manufacturers, about 2 % of the teabag, so that when heat and pressure are applied it melts the plastic and the teabag can be sealed.
So, most paper tea bags contain approximately 98% paper fibre, that will break down in home composting, BUT 2% of the teabag is petro-based nano plastics that are not compostable or biodegradable. Not an option for us here at t leaf T.
Nylon Pyramid Shaped Tea Bags
The nylon tea bag material has been around since around 1996 as the PLA technology did not exist at the time. The pyramid tea bags look nice, but the material is entirely a petro-based plastic. The cost of Nylon is substantially cheaper than PLA so low cost driven produces will mostly opt for nylon because of the price.
Nylon is not compostable, or biodegradable so will be around for hundreds of years. Again, not an option for us at t leaf T!
In summary
No teabag solution is perfect but at t leaf T we believe that the PLA material we are using is the most sustainable solution currently for, convenience based, teabags. Every tea we sell is also available in loose leaf and is a better environmentally friendly and sustainable option.