Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Flavors enTwining


I had some tea recently that was a very nice tea, except...I could taste the chemical flavor of the flavoring. Not very overt and probably most people wouldn't taste it, but I think it is something I am particularly sensitive to as I have the same problem with cake mix, coffee and other "flavored" things. But is it my problem? have we been sold a bill of goods that says we need chemical flavorings. Maybe it's a general problem that we can't seem to like things that are just flavored with more natural additives, with nuts and berries, fruits and dried herbs or extracts of them? Maybe the flavors would not be so intense. Maybe we could learn to appreciate them for what they are. Probably won't happen but I'd rather have my flavors from nature.
Having said that, my tea for today is Twinings Prince of Wales Tea. I have always loved this and I can't detect if the black currant in it is natural or chemical. Probably, sadly, the latter. But I think it is a well-balanced tea with a nice fresh scent and taste. It is a blend of China teas, mild and pleasant with no smokiness that I know some people object to. It is not in the same class as the recent Darjeelings, but then, it's not supposed to be.
I usually brew 1 teaspoon per cup in boiling water for 3-31/2 minutes. If Twinings is your "cuppa" the English Tea Store is having a sale at the moment - http://www.englishteastore.com/









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