Mango Tulsi

This is not really what I expected…

I’ve never had tulsi before, so I didn’t know what I was in for there. The dry leaf had a lovely tropical fruit scent, which was encouraging.

However, the steeped tisane mostly just tastes of hibiscus tempered by sugar. It’s quite intense actually, though I may have overleafed it. While I appreciate that the sugar really helps to take the edge off, I’m not a big hibiscus fan. I think I get a little bit of tropical fruit maybe? There’s a light peppery note in the aftertaste, is that from the tulsi?

It’s not unpleasant, but I certainly won’t seek out more after finishing the sample pouch.

From the sale recently! I loved the idea of this tea, so had to try it. Sadly, it isn’t as magical as I would hope from a Bluebird tea. I kind of expected the fruit to be pineapple and papaya (and not mango) from reading another tasting note from a Steepsterer. So the fruit flavor was really more like pineapple with hints of papaya. (I’m not sure if there is additional flavoring of mango that Bluebird adds or if it is just the papaya and pineapple chunks.) Though I do appreciate the papaya and pineapple, this blend probably shouldn’t be named ‘mango’. I also expected a vegetal, green bean type flavor to the tulsi, but the tulsi is so mild tasting that I can hardly taste it. There is also a hint of tanginess to the hibiscus… some sweetness from the sugar. I won’t say no to this on a hot summer evening (like now!), but sadly this blend was less than I imagined.
Steep #1 // 1 teaspoon //few minutes after boiling // few minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // few minute steep
I hope everyone has a lovely, enjoyable Memorial Day weekend!

My second Bluebird tea of the day, and probably the one I was most doubtful about. I’ve tried Tulsi a few times and it’s not really been my thing. Still, worth a try. For a tea that’s called “Mango Tulsi” there’s a suspicious lack of mango actually in evidence. The ingredients list specifies pineapple and papaya, both of which I can see cubes of in the dry leaf. There’s also fluffy green tulsi, and some (really pretty) sunflower petals. Bluebird teas are always so visually appealing! The scent of the dry leaf is primarily pineapple, just like a freshly opened bag of those sweetened, dried pineapple pieces. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 4 minutes in boiling water. The resulting liquor is a telling red-pink. Hello, hibiscus. The scent is amazing, though – orange ice pops! It’s so deliciously summery.

To taste, this isn’t (sadly!) quite as good as it smells. I get papaya, rather than mango, with a touch of sweetness that could be the pineapple, or could be the sugar I see has been added to the mix. There’s a fairly strong herbal flavour that I guess is the tulsi, and it’s not a great pairing with the tropical fruit vibe. The hibiscus is also too strong for my tastes, contributing a sour tartness that’s just not really very nice. I feel let down by this one. It sounds promising, and it certainly smells good. It just somehow fails to deliver in the flavour. Not a Bluebird day for me, sadly.