BLUEBERRY - Black Tea
Cup Characteristics: Intoxicating blueberry aroma and sprightly full flavour of the tiny wild blueberry. Excellent hot or cold. As an iced tea serve with a pinch of sugar.
INGREDIENTS: Black tea, Blueberries, Cornflower petals, Blackberry leaves, Natural flavours (Organic Compliant).
No known or claimed food allergens or intolerances.
Who doesn't love Blueberries? The tiny berries are incredibly juicy, sweet and packed full of antioxidants. Throughout the North American North East no summer is complete without a stop at a pick-your-own blueberry farm. This is especially true during July, National Blueberry Month. Poet Robert Frost certainly loved picking them. In his poem "Blueberries" he wrote:
Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,
Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum.
In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!
And all ripe together, not some of them green
And some of them ripe! You ought to have seen!
In recent years, blueberries have come to be regarded as a "superfruit" owing to its favourable combination of nutrient richness, antioxidant strength and versatility as an ingredient in other food products. Raise a freshly brewed cup to an amazing berry!
What type of tea do we use, how do we flavour the tea and why do we use natural flavours?
Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavourful teas that have classic 'Ceylon' tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavour notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery colour and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavoured teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavoured teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This 'dual peak period' allow us to buy the best for our flavoured tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.
Secondly... we use flavouring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.
Thirdly... we specify natural flavours. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavours do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavoured tea is to use overpowering artificial flavours, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavours do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavours tend to be somewhat 'soft ' and the flavours slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavoured teas.