Coffee tea leaves. Coffee tea leaves or coffee leaves are the leaves from the coffee plant (either Coffea robusta or Coffea arabica), prepared as an herbal tea. These leaves, after being roasted, can be ground up or crumpled, then brewed or steeped in hot water in a form similar to tea. The resulting liquor is similar in taste to green tea, but with less caffeine content than either regular tea or coffee. Coffee leaves closely resemble the leaves and stalks of Paraguay tea (llex paraguariensis).