Steeped in Heritage: Why Herbal Tea Is So Much More Than a Drink

Growing up, tea was just... always there. 

Warming the kitchen, steeping on the stove, passed around in chipped mugs with a knowing smile. It wasn’t something we reached for—it was something that reached for us.

Got a bellyache? Tea. 

Feeling overwhelmed? Tea. 

Need a quiet moment before starting your day? You already know the answer.

I watched my grandmother move through the kitchen like a healer. She didn’t reach for pills or packaged remedies. She reached for lemongrass, bissap, ginger—ingredients deeply woven into Haitian households and Caribbean kitchens. Whatever was growing in her garden had a purpose. 

And when she brewed a cup, it wasn’t just hot water and herbs—it was care. 

It was intention. It was culture in a mug.

That’s who she is—and that’s where this all started.

More Than Wellness

These days, a lot of people talk about herbal tea like it’s a trend. A wellness hack. 

And while I’m all for folks getting off the caffeine rollercoaster or tending to their digestion with natural remedies, I’m here to say: this isn’t new. 

Caribbean people have been steeping solutions for generations. My tea blends come from that legacy—not from Pinterest, not from trends.

I’m proud to have built Kettle Kréyol as a Haitian-rooted tea company—grounded in memory, ritual, and the kind of wellness that doesn’t need a rebrand.

Blends That Remember

When someone tells me that one of our teas reminds them of their auntie's house in Port-au-Prince, or that it tastes just like what their mom used to make before bed, that hits me deep. That’s why I do this. 

Tea is our love language. Our therapy. Our connection.

Every pouch of Kettle Kréyol tea has a story. 

Some of those stories are loud—full of laughter and Sunday dinner vibes that echo from Haiti to Brooklyn. Some are quiet—steeped in resilience and reflection, passed down from Caribbean matriarchs who brewed strength in every steep. 

But all of them are rooted in something real: the way we care for each other.

I don't just blend herbs. 

I blend memories.

A Cup of Home, Wherever You Are

Whether you grew up drinking bissap at your grandma’s table or you’re just starting to explore culturally rooted teas, I want every sip to feel like home. 

Familiar. Comforting. Grounded. 

Because tea isn’t just a beverage here—it’s a bridge.

So when you open one of our blends, take a moment. Inhale the scent. Think of your people. 

Remember what it feels like to be seen and cared for. That’s the Kettle Kréyol way.

No Pitch, Just Presence

I’m not here to sell you on something. I’m here to share a piece of who I am, and who we are as a community. 

If you find yourself nodding, remembering, or smiling as you read this, then mission accomplished. Your roots deserve to be honored. 

And your tea? Deserves to be real.

With love, 

Cassie