An avid tea drinker since my mid-teens, tea has come to represent many things – comfort, relaxation, contemplative time, reward, nourishment – and is infused with many good memories.
My grandma used to meet me on Thursday afternoons after school to take me for a cup of tea at our favourite shop, where I’d also be able to choose a bag of my favourite loose leaf. She always encouraged me to try new varieties, and little by little, my tastes expanded and matured somewhat.
My favourites are Darjeeling and Keemun, although my daily teas tend to be more robust; Ceylon, Yunnan and Assam.
My early favourites were English Breakfast, Earl Grey and Blackcurrant, so although I’m not overly fond of them now, I do enjoy the flavours from time to time for the nostalgic value.
Otherwise, I was not into flavoured teas until one fateful night when a certain young woman I’d just met joined me for tea at an all-night café in New York, and we discovered Dammann Frères’ Jardin Bleu, which has been as high favourite since. So although very happy with discovering the natural flavours of teas, I’ve enjoyed tasting the many flavoured teas of Dammann Frères over the past decade.
I look forward to learning more here, and hearing about other tea enthusiast’s favourites.
Edinburgh, Scotland