Tapal

Man, I’m liking these cheap bagged Tapal teas way more than I expected. This one has a nice subtle aroma of freeze dried strawberries and Nesquik. When brewed, it’s a like a creamy strawberry milk latte. Nothing fancy here. Just a classic, simple strawberry flavor.

Another humble bagged tea that far exceeded my expectations. At $1.49 for a box of 30 teabags, it’s some of cheapest tea I’ve ever bought yet surprisingly good and a better value than similarly flavored loose leaf teas. Very tropical tasting with notes of honeyed peaches, mango, and papaya. The fruitiness is reminiscent of an old Teavana favorite, Fruta Bomba. Don’t taste the green base but for a tea at this price point, that’s probably a good thing. Can’t wait to try it iced.

Ran out of loose tea while visiting family in Canada last month and they offered me their stash of bagged tea. This was a massive collection of random teas and tissanes ranging from plain commodity tea like Pukka to exotic Arabic Wild Thyme tea. I sampled a bunch of them and this flavored tea from Tapal, a Pakistani brand, was one of the ones I enjoyed most. It has a light but natural Alphonso mango flavor, my favorite kind of mango. It’s not as intense or juicy as higher end flavored teas however the subtle sweetness and flavoring is really nice and leaves you wanting more.

I liked this one much better than most jasmine teas. I could taste the green tea well, and the jasmine was strong but not bitter.

A very good, smooth black tea. Best when you add a drop of whole milk (till its dark brown) or creamer (until its light mocha). If you watch the TV Commercials for Tapal you will see that they intend for it to be served with milk. Its also good when lightly sweetened with a bit of sugar.

Its great black too. I have it pretty much every morning now. Simple, refreshing, inexpensive. What more could you ask for in a cuppa? I find it far superior to your typical grocery isle English Breakfast options.

Give it a try, you will be pleasantly surprised by this unassuming Pakistani tea.

WOW!!!!

This is a fantastic tea for a strong cuppa! I carry some around with me at all times because I never know when I am gonna be spending a night somewhere different, and I’m wary of their tea.

Flavorwise, it just depends on how you like it:
w/ milk: smooth, easy to drink, nice to the tongue.
w/out milk: Strong, bitter and great for after eating a big meal.
w/cardamom: like a light masala chai, but smooth.

Recipe with cardamom: lightly crush the cardamom with a roller (the wooden thing for dough. a spoon works, too) and put it in the cup with the bag/loose tea. Make sure the cardamom is opened up and you can see the seeds. Let it steep, the cardamom will infuse.
Tastes light and good!

Funny story how I learned of this tea:
I had to take a driving course and the guy was Pakistani. Since I’m a tea nut, we of course talked of tea. he said “there is a good one called Tapal Danedar you’d like a lot.” he then drove me to a new Eastern World Market near me and I bough a box.
He asked me next time I saw him, “you like the tea I recommended?” “oh, it’s fantastic!”

Smooth and minty without being too strong of a mint flavor. A good tea for when I have congestion in the morning. I prefer it with sugar over honey. Also, only $1.99 at my local Indian market!

Cardamom and green tea blend for a smooth tea with a bit of spice. I make this with ginger when I need something tasty to soothe my tummy. It’s also only $1.99 at my local Indian market!

I was introduced to this a few years ago by a Pakistani friend at work. When I switched work locations I fell out of the habit of this tea. He is out in my office for the next few months and when I was sharing an Assam with him, I commented on my lack of a good jasmine green to have with Chinese and Thai dishes. He brought me in a spare box of this!

I’m so glad to have found this again. It’s lightly sweet, floral without being harsh and not grassy at all. I’m still going to pick up more of my favorite jasmine white from Shang eventually, but for something I can throw in a cup, not worry about oversteeping and just drink down with spicy Thai, this sure fills the need.

My initial taste was at about 3 1/2 minutes, but I left the bag in the cup for the next 1/2 hour while eating and it never got bitter.

I’m in Chicago this week on vacation visiting my husband’s family, and Tapal is their brand of choice. This is the tea I’ve been drinking for the past day and a half. I’m happy to say that I think I’m hooked! This fragrant tea is a truly lovely blend. The jasmine balances the green tea quite nicely, leaving a pleasantly non-grassy taste. Neither the jasmine nor the green tea flavors overpower! It’s slightly sweet and clean tasting. I think this is a green that I could drink regularly, definitely something I’ve never been able to say before! :)