GINGER MANGO

It is essentially impossible not to be inspired to do, or make, something during a visit to the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok, the largest in the world with over 15,000 stalls. It was during a Saturday visit that our Master Taster was inspired to develop this spicy sweet blend of ginger and mango. As the story goes, he was sitting down at a market stall tucking into an incredible spread of noodles, stir-fry and grilled meats, soaking in the noise, music and riot of color swirling around him. The meal was spectacular. As an aside, his server asked him if he'd like to try the special sauce, a combination of mango and ginger, the house specialty. (Thai cuisine is based on a delicate combination of 5 flavors - spicy, sour, sweet, salty and bitter.) The sauce, they explained, would help cover off the spicy and sweet components of the meal. Sure he said, I'll try the sauce. A few moments later, what was already and incredible experience turned into a mind-blowing one as the hot heat of the ginger and sweet notes of mango peppered his taste buds with their expansive and complimentary flavors. A few moments later and our Master Taster knew he had a new tea on his hands - Ginger Mango. Experience the exotic m̩lange of spicy and sweet for yourself today!

What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?

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 flavorful teas that have classic Ceylon tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored 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 flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.

Secondly... we use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.

Thirdly, we specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat soft and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.