Although my kids’ curriculum writing gigs have led me (pre-plague) to Nashville at least once a year, I had never heard about Nashville Tea…until my best TN buddy sent me a thoughtful little variety pack and advised me that it’s actually based in Columbia TN, where she lives. All the more reason to return!
This reminds me of some kind of hot, wassail-y, deep-dish spiced berry dessert you’d serve on the Christmas buffet table. The “caramelized” essence given in the description is what you smell first, the cranberry and pomegranate are what you taste first, with one spoonful of rock sugar to tamp down the tartness, it still has a lot of liveliness and sparkle from the remaining ingredients (orange zest, anise, a little hibiscus among others).
Tea and Cocoa Day rundown: for my little tribe that was brave enough to sample what I brought, English Tea Store Ginger Peach was a winner, Bigelow Sweetheart Cinnamon not too far behind, and this year’s sixth grade lapsang souchong descriptor was “tastes like barbecue!” Two liked it straight up (one “sort of;” one definitely) and Taste Tester #3 said it was awesome with sugar.
