TRFK 306 (Purple Tea)
Mild, slightly sweet, very low astringency. High anthocyanin content gives the dried leaf a purple-violet color.
TRFK 306 (Tea Research Foundation of Kenya cultivar 306) is the most prominent purple tea cultivar, developed and released by the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya in 2011 after research dating back to the early 2000s. The cultivar produces leaves with high anthocyanin content — the same antioxidant pigments that give blueberries and purple grapes their color — resulting in a distinctive purple-violet leaf color and a unique cup character: mild, slightly sweet, with very low astringency.
The cultivar represents Kenya's effort to move beyond commodity CTC black tea into specialty markets. Purple tea has been marketed for both its distinctive cup character and its high anthocyanin content (which has been claimed for various health benefits — those claims are not well-validated and we don't endorse them editorially). Several Kenyan operations now produce orthodox-processed purple tea targeting international specialty markets. The cultivar represents an interesting agricultural and editorial development in African tea: a deliberate specialty product designed to give Kenya an export identity beyond the CTC commodity foundation.
Teas produced
Flavor signature
Growing regions
- Kericho and broader Kenyan tea regions
Origins where TRFK 306 (Purple Tea) grows
Brands likely carrying TRFK 306 (Purple Tea)
Direct-sourcing operations with focus areas that align with this cultivar's typical growing regions.