about my love for tea

I have always preferred tea over coffee. Maybe, because somehow I have this notion that it's healthier (zero calories!) and the fact that I am not really a fan of coffee. But my love for tea really just began late last year, the same time I fell in love with macarons (which I will blog next time). 

My friend and I were in Singapore and we passed by TWG. And who wouldn't be curious? Teas in big yellow canisters, macarons in different colors, tea pots and tea cups in the middle of ION mall. It's just so...  ENGLISH! And somehow there is something elegant and fancy about things that are ENGLISH! So my friend and I decided to take a break from our shopping and have our own little tea party in the middle of that mall.

There were just too many teas so we asked the English man behind the counter (where all the yellow canisters were) for recommendations. He asked us for our preference, whether we prefer flowery or citrusy or berries or black, etc. For each time he recommended something, he would get the yellow canister with that tea and he would ask us to smell it. I realized,  afterwards, that teas taste just like how they smell. 

That afternoon, my friend and I had scones and macarons together with our chosen teas, Creme Brulee and Grand Wedding. The whole experience was wonderful and... fancy! Somehow, TWG was able to transport us somewhere else (worry-free and where time is not a luxury, the secret garden the french know about which I will talk about in another blog) and made us forget that we are just really in a mall in Singapore. 

Anyway, I think I fell in love with Creme Brulee at first sniff. You just know that something that smells THAT good can only taste THAT good. And so up to this day, Creme Brulee remains to be my most favorite tea. Afterwards, we bought more teas to take home. We got more Creme Brulee and Grand Wedding and added Love Me Tea (no, it's not a love potion, to my dismay!) and 1837 Black Tea. They all taste great. 

Everytime I go to Singapore now, I go to TWG and buy my favorites and try new ones as well. 

Here are my favorites*:

1) Creme Brulee 

Welcome to the world of sweet French savoir-faire. TWG created this special green tea by blending subtle bouquets of red fruits and strawberries, evoking the taste of creme brulee. Absolute harmony.

2) 1837 Black

TWG's renowned signature tea, 1837 Black is a unique blend of black tea with notes of fruits and flowers from the Bermuda triangle which leaves a lingering aftertaste of ripe berries, anise and caramel. A timeless classic.

3) Silver Moon

A TWG blend of green teas is accented with a grand berry and vanilla bouquet, suave, with just a hint of spice. A tea for that special moment.

Here are the others* that I tried and like:

1) Grand Wedding

A festive TWG tea to celebrate life's momentous occasions, this black tea is blended with sunflowers and breathtaking exotic fruits.

2) Love Me

This engaging love potion of fine green tea is delicately enhanced by an armful of fragrant lime blossoms and verbena. A charming adventure of the senses.

3) Vanilla Bourbon

Red tea from South Africa richly blended with exquisite vanilla bean. Enveloping, this theine-free tea can be served warm or iced at any time of the day, and is perfect for children as well.

4) Creme Caramel

Delicate red tea from South Africa with a secret blend of sweet French spices. A dessert  in itself, this theine-free tea can be served warm or iced, at any time of the day.

I wish I can describe them to you in my own words but whenever I try to, I just come up with ''they smell SO good!"

Anyway, I know I have been talking about TWG excessively. First love I guess. But here are some other teas that are more readily available in the Philippines (I buy mine at Rustan's Supermarket and Santi's) and also taste good: 1) Twining's Blackcurrant Tea 2) Stash Peach Black Tea and 3) Yama Moto Yama's Jasmine Green Tea.

I hope next time I can blog about my own tea set (which I have yet to buy) and the tea parties I have yet to host. :) :) :)

* As described by TWG.
** 1st picture is from http://www.asiax.biz/gourmet/6735-1837/img/photo.jpg, last accessed 9/25/11. 2nd picture is my own.
*** More pictures will be added soon. Pictures of my last visit to TWG are still in my camera and are still to be transferred to my macbook.