I may have to drink this several times before I come to any conclusions. The dry aroma really highlights the tomato. Pretend that you are in a tomato garden and you can smell the more distant odor of basil and green bell peppers. And tea, of course.
The French store, from which I ordered this says that: “Many great things are born from the most outrageous ideas. So for which reason should a tea not be perfumed by the lush perfume of tomatoes? Flavor: Tomato and lemon. Base: Darjeeling.”
Sipping my first cup, I am having a bit of cognitive dissonance. This tea is so very summer salad and at the same time so very much a black tea. I could see it working more with a green tea, but I also think I need some time to lean into this tea. I might add a bit o’ sugar next time. I think that I am going to like it because now that the tea is finished, I want to do an immediate second steep.
I feel that I ate a very juicy and ripe tomato that was grown in a garden in the full summer. Some green bell pepper and maybe some basil were added. A couple of grains of salt and black pepper were sprinkled over it and then a squeeze of lemon juice.. And then some caffeine steroids were added.
Gratitude to The O Dor for their interesting ideas and I suspect that this tea will gain more points as I drink it more. I don’t think it’s for tea purists, but it’s probably for anyone who likes something different. It’s piquant!
EDIT:
This tea is very tricky, fussy, and moody although it’s worth it if you can get it right. Steeped too long, and it’s bitter quickly. 2 minutes and 45 seconds is perfect for me. It can be very astringent. It is highly reminiscent of gazpacho. It’s worth pursuing to try to get it right, in spite of its moodiness.
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This sounded fascinating when I saw it on their site so I actually ordered some as well.
To one tomato lover, this tea sounds rather delicious. Does it taste anything like the scent of the tomato plant, or mostly just the fruit itself?
This sounds like a really interesting idea for a tea. Upton Tea’s Ceciliyan Estate is another tea that’s tomatoey, but that one’s not flavored – it’s natural.
The aroma is more like a tomato garden and the taste is more like the scent rather than the taste of the tomato itself—it bleeds together a bit.
I enjoyed my second steeping and think that once I got past the novelty of the unusual flavor and aroma, I really like this tea. It’s going to be one that I’ll need to keep in stock, so I’m revising my rating up the scale a bit.
Neat. Definitely going on my shopping list!
This tea sounds incredible…
Oh gosh, this one sort of sounds like a compelling nightmare to me… tomatoes are not exactly a favorite fruit of mine. In fact, I borderline hate them. Interesting that THE O DOR has created such an unusual flavor, though!
This sounded fascinating when I saw it on their site so I actually ordered some as well.
To one tomato lover, this tea sounds rather delicious. Does it taste anything like the scent of the tomato plant, or mostly just the fruit itself?
This sounds like a really interesting idea for a tea. Upton Tea’s Ceciliyan Estate is another tea that’s tomatoey, but that one’s not flavored – it’s natural.
The aroma is more like a tomato garden and the taste is more like the scent rather than the taste of the tomato itself—it bleeds together a bit.
I enjoyed my second steeping and think that once I got past the novelty of the unusual flavor and aroma, I really like this tea. It’s going to be one that I’ll need to keep in stock, so I’m revising my rating up the scale a bit.
Neat. Definitely going on my shopping list!
This tea sounds incredible…
Oh gosh, this one sort of sounds like a compelling nightmare to me… tomatoes are not exactly a favorite fruit of mine. In fact, I borderline hate them. Interesting that THE O DOR has created such an unusual flavor, though!