From the Andes to the Amazon
- helloanthropolotea
- Apr 26
- 5 min read
My second ‘Travel with Tea’ event, exploring traditional herbal infusions from South America.
Ethnobotany
I took an ethnobotanical angle to research for this event. Ethnobotany is the study of people-plant relationships, and is very interdisciplinary, incorporating political ecology, pharmacology, anthropology, geography, nutrition, linguistics and environmental studies (Nolan et al., 2011). Its methods include “note taking, photography, tape and video recording, statistics, collecting and preparing plant specimens, microscope work, analysis of nutrients and plant chemicals, genetic studies, and ecological survey work.” (Nolan et al., 2011).
However, working with traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) responsibly means following ethical protocols and forming partnerships with indigenous peoples to share the benefits of the herbal knowledge and aid in cultural and ecological conservation (Nolan et al., 2011).
Nolan, Justin & Turner, Nancy. (2011). Ethnobotany: The Study of People–Plant Relationships. Ethnobiology (pp.133 - 147)
Graviola/Guanabana (Annunona Muricata)
Graviola grows in tropical regions around the world, but is native to the Amazon and the northern regions of South America, closer to the equator (Olas, 2023). Infusions of its leaves are used “to treat insomnia, diabetes, cystitis, and headaches” (Olas, 2023).
During the Covid-19 pandemic in Peru, it was used by the Ticuña to treat headaches by mixing “10 graviola leaves with lemon leaves, mint, guinea henweed and garlic” (Brañas, 2023). Also, in Bolivian immigrant communities in Buenos Aires, Puentes (2021) finds graviola being used for skin ailments.
I infused the leaves on their own, and people generally found the infusion to be sweet-earthy. It was one of my favourite flavors of the day.
Olas, B. (2023). The Antioxidant Potential of Graviola and Its Potential Medicinal Application. Nutrients, 15(2), 402.
Brañas el al. (2022). Plantas y animales usados para combatir la pandemia del Covid-19 en dos comunidades indígenas Ticuña del departamento de Loreto, Peru. Folia Amazónica, 31(2), 149-161.
Puentes, J.P. (2021). Medicinal plants linked to the Andean heritage and commercialized for skin conditions in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Medicinal Plant Communications, 4(2), 36-40.
Incayuyo (Lippia integrifolia)
Incayuyo is known as the ‘tea of the Incas,’ although the more accurate translation would be ‘shrub of the Incas.’ It’s a woody shrub that can be drunk on its own as an infusion to aid digestion, added to Yerba Mate, or turned into a liquor and can also be used as a spice to flavour food (Garcia et al., 2025).
I served it as an infusion, and while some people loved the oregano-ness of it, others found it a little bitter. I would be curious to try it in the kitchen as a spice.
García SA, Nores MH, de Diego F, Bach HG, Peralta PA, Robbiati FO (2025). Climate change and shifting distributions of medicinal and aromatic Lippia and Salimenaea species (Verbenaceae) in southern South America: a species distribution modeling approach. Plant Ecology and Evolution 158(3):403-417.
Cat’s Claw
The name ‘cat’s claw’ comes from the claw-shaped base of the leaves. It’s been used traditionally for bone, gastrointestinal and joint pain, and is generally an immunostimultant and anti-inflammatory (Laboratoire Therascience).
They are ‘climbing vines’ that grow in the Amazon, and have also been found in Central American jungles (Cabieses, 1994). It became more popular outside the region from 1976 when Schuyler, an anthropologist living in Peru, became cured from a terminal illness drinking it (Cabieses, 1994).
The Campas and Ashinkinkas in Peru drink it through a decoction instead of an infusion, using 20-30g and boiling it for 15-20 minutes in a liter of water (Cabieses, 1994). Following this method, I brewed it as a decoction.
‘Uña de Gato’ Laboratoire Therascience. Available online at:
Cabieses, F. (1994). Cat's claw and its environment: From the jungle to the pharmacy. Universidad de San Martin de Porres. Peru: Lima.
Rompepiedras (Stonebreaker)
It’s a medicinal herb widely used in natural medicine to aid in reducing and preventing kidney stones and for its diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties. It
is also a part of Unani and Ayurvedic medicine, where the leaves and fruit are used to treat gallstones (Nichols, 2023)
Conde (2020), an anthropologist studying indigenous children’s knowledge of medicinal herbs in Northern Argentina, fell ill with kidney stones while doing fieldwork. She was told “you have to believe” for the rompepiedras to take effect, showing the effect of these medicinal plants also depends in part on psychosocial factors.
You can also boil it with horsetail and consume it daily to relieve kidney stones (Audisio, 2022). I mixed the stonebreaker with some horsetail to try this combination, and it was softly medicinal tasting.
Other than being used to treat kidney stones, Puentes (2021) conducts urban ethnobotany in Buenos Aires to understand the local knowledge of Bolivian immigrants, and visits pharmacies, wellness stores and herb shops. He finds rompepiedras being used for skin issues and acne (similar to graviola)
Audisio María Carolina, Martínez Gustavo J., Luján María Claudia. Complejos vegetales funcionales medicinales en contextos multiculturales del oeste de la Provincia de Córdoba, Argentina. Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. [Internet]. 2022 Sep [citado 2026 Mar 15] ; 57( 3 ): 1-10..
Conde, María Florencia. (2020). Producción de saberes comunitarios sobre la salud y la lengua guaraní con niños de una comunidad rural de Corrientes, Argentina. Diálogos sobre educación. Temas actuales en investigación educativa,11(20), 00006. Epub 07 de abril de 2021
Puentes, J. P. (2021). Medicinal plants linked to the Andean heritage and commercialized for skin conditions in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Medical Plant Communications, 4(2), 36-40
Nichols, H. (2023). Chanca piedra: Does it treat gallstones? Medical News Today. Available online at:
Matico + Yerba Buena
The name 'matico' comes from the name of the Spanish soldier who accidentally discovered the properties of the leaves when he was wounded in Peru (Grieve). It's a tropical plant that's applied topically to wounds (Grieve.) The infusion is used for "gastritis, cardiovascular, muscular, intestinal infections" (Travez et al., 2020). It was introduced into medical practice in the USA and Europe in 1839 as a wound astringent (Kress).
In Chile, the Aymara and Mapuche use it for scarring, anti-inflammation and antioxodant purposes. Its also recognised by Chile's Ministry of Health as a traditional herbal medicine (Bustamante et al.)
Vilcapoma, the Vice-Minister of Interculturality of Peru and an anthropologist himself, explains that during the Covid-19 pandemic, some indigenous groups used matico for its antiseptic properties when faced with a lack of medical supplies.
In Ecuador, the tsachilas documented their use of medicinal plants, including matico, to declare them UNESCO intangible heritage and conserve the knowledge for future generations. In collaboration with the Regional University of the Andes, ethnographic fieldwork was combined with lab analyses of 50 plants (Travez et al., 2020).
I mixed it with yerba buena, a member of the mint family, to sweeten the taste.
Bustamante et al. (2015). Fundamentación preclínica del uso etnomédico de matico (buddleja globosa hope). Revista de fitoterapia, 15(1) 37-51
Kress, H. Matico. Henriette’s Herbal. Available online at:
Grieve, M. Matico. Botanical: A Modern Herbal. Available online at:
Travez, E. Et al. (2020). Fundamentación científica de los saberes ancestrales de los Tsachilas sobre la planta de matico. Revista DilemasContemporaneo: educación,política y valores, 1(69)
Vilcapoma, J. The wisdom of the amazon indigenous elders and the matico command in the face of covid19. Trayectorias Humanas Trascontinentales, (11).
Comments