Misai kucing (Orthosiphon stamineus, also called cat’s whiskers or Java tea) is a Southeast Asian herb whose leaves are traditionally brewed as a herbal tea across Malaysia and Indonesia. As an ingredient, it is supplied as dried leaf, tea cuts and standardised extract powder for herbal beverages, teas and supplement formulations. Good misai kucing material is traceably farmed, correctly identified, and comes with a certificate of analysis covering identity, heavy metals and microbial limits.

What is misai kucing?

The plant is a member of the mint family, named for its long white stamens that resemble cat’s whiskers. It has a long history in Malay traditional beverage culture, and modern analysis attributes its character to constituents including rosmarinic acid, sinensetin and other polymethoxylated flavones — compounds now used as identity and quality markers for the herb. It is cultivated commercially in Malaysia, making it one of the signature herbs of the local botanical industry alongside tongkat ali and kacip fatimah.

Misai kucing leaf vs extract

Dried leaf and tea cuts are for brewing — teabags, loose herbal tea and RTD tea bases. A standardised extract powder concentrates the water-soluble fraction, is assayed on markers such as rosmarinic acid or sinensetin, doses at far lower levels, and suits capsules, sachets and beverage premixes. Our bulk misai kucing extract powder page carries the spec detail.

What does misai kucing taste like?

Mildly bitter and herbaceous, in the family of green herbal teas — commonly softened with pandan, lemongrass or a little sweetener in traditional preparations. It blends well in multi-herb tea formats, which is how most Malaysian consumers meet it.

How to use misai kucing

Typical applications: herbal teabags and loose tea blends, RTD herbal tea and functional beverages, botanical supplement capsules and sachets, and traditional-wellness product lines built on Malaysian heritage herbs. For export products, note that regulatory classification differs by market — in Malaysia, product-level claims are governed by the relevant food or NPRA route and must be settled before labelling.

How to buy misai kucing in bulk: a checklist

Botanical identity — confirmed Orthosiphon stamineus; white- vs purple-flower variants documented.
Format — leaf/tea cut vs extract; for extracts, the marker compound and assay value.
Farming source — traceable Malaysian cultivation; wild-harvested material is harder to standardise.
Certificate of analysis — identity, moisture, heavy metals, microbial limits per batch.
Certifications — halal (JAKIM), GMP/HACCP or FSSC 22000 site certification.
MOQ, lead time and packing — foil-lined packing; extract powders are hygroscopic.

Misai kucing from a Malaysian manufacturer

Bionutricia Extract processes misai kucing at source in Malaysia — where the herb is actually farmed — producing extract powder under GMP and HACCP with FSSC 22000 certification and JAKIM halal certification. Every batch ships with a COA, and we support OEM tea, beverage and supplement development from pilot MOQs to production volumes.