If you have been following our journey and have tried our Prebiotic Herbal Teas, you know that a case of Waku (which includes 12 glass bottles of our fruity teas) costs up to $39.99. Of course there are always new discounts, bundle offers, special day promotions and overall benefits to get more cases at a lower price, but essentially a single bottle of Waku could cost approximately $3. And over all of these years and throughout all of those promos, we have heard a question pop up every once in a while and that is “Why is Waku so expensive?”. Today, we will answer that question by breaking down why the cost of Waku is truly just a reflection of its value. 

First of all, we would love for you to know that as a new upcoming brand and company, we do our best to offer the fairest prices considering how we source our ingredients, their quality, the glass bottles they come in and the overall presentation. Even though we are constantly working on reducing our costs so that Waku can be more affordable, as a young company that uses high quality and all-natural ingredients from Ecuador, it’s still hard for us to make our products “more affordable”. We do take every feedback and comment into consideration and find ourselves constantly brainstorming over how to sell Waku at a lower price so that more people can get the chance to try it out and feel its replenishing benefits.

All About Sweeteners

Health should taste great! Because in Waku we are well aware of that, we’ve added natural Monk Fruit as sweetener to boost the flavor of Waku natural fruits, while reducing the amount of sugar to 0g. For us, using the best sourced ingredients on their most natural presentation is one the things that make us different from other tea and overall drink brands. 

Why don't we use sugar? 

It is well known that too much sugar is bad for your health. Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits. Sugary beverages don’t curb your hunger, making it easy to quickly consume a high number of liquid calories. This can lead to weight gain. Research has consistently shown that people who drink sugary beverages, such as soda and juice, weigh more than people who don’t.

Also, drinking a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to an increased amount of visceral fat, a kind of deep belly fat associated with conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

What is monk fruit, how does it work and why is it better?

Monk fruit sweetener is extracted from monk fruit. It’s a small, round fruit grown in Southeast Asia. The sweetener is created by removing the seeds and skin of the fruit and crushing it to collect the juice, which is then dried into a concentrated powder.

Monk fruit contains natural sugars, mainly fructose and glucose. However, unlike in most fruits, the natural sugars in monk fruit aren’t responsible for its sweetness. Instead, it gets its intense sweetness from unique antioxidants called mogrosides. During processing, mogrosides are separated from the fresh-pressed juice. Therefore, monk fruit sweetener does not contain fructose or glucose.

The Purest Ingredients

Because real ingredients will always taste better, in Waku, we are committed to keep using the freshest ingredients, grown on small farms with respect for the land, in service to our mission of improving lives back home in Ecuador. All of these makes up for that $3 bottle that you buy and those incredibly delicious 12-Pack boxes of each one of our four flavors: Ginger Lemon, Raspberry Rose, Passionfruit and Lemon. 

Waku contains 6g of prebiotic fiber from chicory root. That's 25% of your daily fiber intake in one bottle! And it's all natural! Not only that, but we are the only tea brand that includes prebiotic fiber and therefore possess this incredible extra benefit. Our prebiotic Herbal teas are not only made with all-natural ingredients, they are also vegan, GMO free, caffeine free and sugar free! That is why we have worked so hard so that Waku can be the most delicious and refreshing beverage you choose to drink on a daily basis, while also working on making it as beneficial and healthy as possible without decreasing the quality or flavor.

Social Impact

Every bottle of Waku is made with a powerful botanical blend that has anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits. This is a centuries-old Ecuadorian recipe locally known as "horchata lojana" that has been consumed for generations in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador because of its gut-health benefits and delicious taste. Not only are our ingredients sustainably obtained, they are also a hundred percent natural, organic and pure. We work with farmers in Ecuador to collect, squeeze, mix and pour all of the plants we use to prepare our teas and make the smoothest and most natural blend possible so that it can later on be served into our special glass bottles.

Steeped in goodness and brewed to perfection, our prebiotic teas draw on centuries of Ecuadorian knowledge and biodiversity to create a deliciously refreshing brew that does wonders for your digestion. We have worked hard to search and find the best place to gather everything we need without hurting or affecting the land from which we obtain our ingredients.

We work with those farmers with a fair trade agreement, offering them the chance to put the ingredients they source on a delicious drink that will showcase the incredible benefits of the recipe internationally. Every step of our process is carefully executed to take care and maintain the Ecuadorian lands and resources in their most optimal conditions. By creating hundreds of jobs, we are also helping those communities sustain and grow with respect and understanding of their heritage and its importance.

Experience Sunrise on the Inside

A moment to replenish. A moment to reconnect. A moment to gear up for whatever comes next. Waku celebrates those moments in life that lift us up and help us stay grounded. It's a feeling unlike any other, like a sunrise on the inside. And once you experience Waku, it will become a gentle ritual you look forward to every day.

So next time you are wondering why does Waku cost what is costs, take a look inside that bottle, and notice that what you are seeing is actually the effort of hundreds of local ecuadorian farmers that treat and respect the land they work with, the benefits of prebiotics sourced organically, the deliciousness of natural fruits and the overall goodness of a well prepared vegan tea that was prepared with the soul purpose of making your life a little better, one Waku bottle at a time so that you can get to experience, as hundreds have already: the feeling of Sunrise on the Inside.