Catha Edulis - How Is It Taken?

How Is It Taken?

Bitter-tasting khat leaves are typically chewed like tobacco. Users fill their mouths with fresh leaves that they chew to release the active ingredients. Khat is also sold as dried or crushed leaves, frozen leaves, or in powdered form.

Another method of ingesting khat is by chewing a paste made of khat leaves, water, and sugar or honey, sometimes flavored with herbs.

A young Kenyan man chews khat, a drug that gives people a feeling of euphoria. Scientists also are studying the plant to see if it boosts fertility in men. AP/Wide World Photos.
A young Kenyan man chews khat, a drug that gives people a feeling of euphoria. Scientists also are studying the plant to see if it boosts fertility in men. AP/Wide World Photos.

A tea made from the flowers of the khat plant—"flower of paradise" in Yemen—is considered restorative. In addition, the leaves are sometimes added to plain tea or smoked in combination with tobacco. Ethiopians often drink a juice extract made from khat leaves.