Proper Tea

Truth is, I am a coffee drinker partly because of the taste but also the consistancy of product. I buy Nescafe Espresso and its exactly the same, week in, week out. Occassionally I treat myself to a Moconna and I love the extra chocolaty flavours that come through. They are right, Moconna haft mere MMMMMMM.

Tea on the other hand is reliant on so many factors. Freshly drawn water must be used as the oxygen in the water reacts with the tea to release the flavour. Flat water means flat tea. And timing - leave tea too long and it will become bitter, too short and its weak and dissappointing. So I drink coffee, until my neighbour introduced me to TleafT.Co.nz.

Most tea bag teas are made up from what is called dust. It is finely cut to give it a greater surface area and ore flavour but that too has its own problems. TleafT are based in the Dukes arcade and the only bad in sight is the one you use to carry your purchase home.

For the first time buyer I recommend two things: 1) Allow about half an hour. 2) Buy one of the tester tins with 4 teas in it for about 30 dollars. It might be a little bit pricey but it can save you from buying something that doesnt quite pan out in taste as opposed to the arome. And you can smell everything. There are smelling jars all over, clearly labelled so you can get an idea. I bought the choco-chilli infusion and it taste exactly as its smells.

With mothers day coming up, mum will be getting a proper ceramic infuser and a packet of Earl Grey Blue Flower. Favourite son once more? I think so.

What makes this store so different is the simple combination of high turnover, vacuum sealed product that is natural. Tea leaves used in Earl Grey Blue Flower are huge and are meant to be because tea laves themselves are large naturally and they expand an incredible amount when rehydrated. The blends are natural and sympathetic, complex and subtle and above all, extensive. Tea takes about 3 to 4 minutes to brew if a black tea, any more than that and it will start to become bitter. (I use a kitchen timer for my three minutes.) As a bonus, the caffeine hit is spread over a longer period of time and the flavours are worthy of a little effort to achieve are great brew. TleafT have on their website a great guide to brewing teas and if you need accessories, believe me they have them.