My sister offered me as a gift, amongst other lovely sweets, a very fancy collection of tea.
She knows that I am a huge fan of tea because I am quite old school in some matters. Have you ever felt you are an old soul inside a youthful body, craving for tasteful, vintage and refined things? I often feel like this and enjoying tea makes me feel so good and peaceful.
I discovered that I liked tea in highschool, when I was very much into black and green tea as they helped me with my energy levels while studying. As I went to the University, I was lucky enough to have a tea shop/tea restaurant near the big library of my town. The varieties of tea you could find there..... I had my first blooming tea there and often I also enjoyed an irish coffee along the way. An irish coffee after a long day of studying was my blissful moment that I used to share with another geeky friend of mine at that time.
My favorite tea flavors include rooibos, jasmine, rose bud, lemongrass, mint, sour cherries, orange and forest fruits. I will never refuse a good tea馃嵉鉂わ笍. In some cultures there is a whole ceremony for it. I think that drinking tea makes you appreciate the flavor and take your time. I like that it isn't something you can do in a rush or in very crowded places filled with noise. Tea demands tranquility, patience, elegance, attention and quality time. Tea demands Zen from you.
This collection was the sweetest thing of the whole gift. I looked forward to try all of the sortiments and see which one I like the most. The box contains 60 bags of tea with some really lovely names: 1001 nights, Splashes of champagne, Wild berries, Passion fruit, Cleopatra's night, Golden Mango, Bahamian soursop, Royal dessert, Alpine Herbs, Strawberry Marshmallow, Citrus Melissa, Berry Pie. 12 types of tea to try with 5 bags from each assortment. Uhhh how exciting for my taste buds馃馃構
I loved trying them all. Every morning I woke up and tried a different tea bag. My absolute favorite is Splashes of champagne. I still have one bag which I do not dare to drink yet because it is too good and I prefer to keep it, just like an old lady馃槀. The aroma is out of this world. You feel the roses and then it is like you're drinking liquid marshmallow. The Splashes of champagne contains : black Ceylon tea, green tea, strawberries, cornflower.
My next favorite is 1001 nights. The pungent smell is similar to fresh squeezed grapes. The color is splendid, a strong orange with tints of violet. This tea blend has: black Ceylon tea, green tea, flower petals (cornflower, calendula, rose buds, saffron). I use only honey to sweeten my tea and I noticed that drinking the tea less sweetened helps you taste the whole gamut of flavors.
The novelty of this set was the soursop tea. I never tried this kind of tea before and I liked the taste of it, slightly sour similar with pineapple. With new flavors I have found that I need more time to get accustomed with them and feel the various notes.
I think that such a set would be a perfect gift for a person who is more on the artistic side, maybe someone who loves to take their time and who is very attentive to details.
The benefits of drinking tea are real, as the dried fruits contain a lot of minerals, antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients. Not to mention the state of calm that you get when you are enjoying in silence a cup of hot fragrant tea. In this agitated world, where everybody is rushing having no more time for themselves, tea is a great ally for those who want a moment of peace and serenity. Next to the great taste, you have the benefit of being with yourself. Me, myself and I with a cup of great tea 馃挴
Have a splendid day and toodle loo!
