TEA OF LIFE - A UNIQUE TEA-TASTING & BREWING SESSION TO BE H

TEA OF LIFE - A UNIQUE TEA-TASTING & BREWING SESSION TO BE H

Postby Surabhi Trivedi » Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:47 am

New Delhi: What better than a hot steaming cup of tea, not only brewed by an expert but also infused with therapeutic qualities, to bring cheer to a cold January afternoon? On January 22, 2012, Belgium based tea connoisseur Neetu Sarin will host a tea-tasting and tea-brewing workshop which brings together the best of gourmet teas from Europe and Asia and promises to infuse a unique and fragrant approach to drinking tea. The event will take place at Cafeartaria, Gallery Art Positive, F-213, Old M. B. Road, Lado Sarai, New Delhi, on Jan 22, from 12 noon till 4 p.m. To register yourself for the tea workshop, contact 41602545/46604128.

Says Anu Bajaj, Director, Gallery Art Positive, “It has been our aim to make the art café in the gallery a dynamic and vibrant place for interesting discussions. We recently held a cake festival curated by culinary experts for the Christmas and New Year season at the café, and now it’s time to sip on a hot cup of tea while enjoying a sumptuous menu from the café.”

Says Neetu Sarin, who has lived in Belgium for last 30 years and has worked for the Indian Tea Board earlier: “I have seen Europe change from an ‘only coffee’ drinking nation to a land of tea lovers and more are joining in every day. I have a passion for tea, especially green tea. There are going to be seven to eight varieties of tea for the tea tasting event. All our teas are made with Sencha green tea which is then mixed with freeze-dried flowers and herbs. We blend the highest quality green teas with natural ingredients to bring you the best of taste and good health. Our teas not only taste good, they are also good for you,”

The different flavours of tea that Sarin would be brewing are:

* Body and Soul: Sencha green tea with the tang of lemon and lime and subtle undertones of ginger.
*La Vie en Rose: Sencha green tea with the enticing aroma of rose petal
*Spice Route: Sencha green tea with warming flavours of cinnamon and tulsi
* Ming Dynasty: Sencha green tea with the heady aroma of jasmine flowers
* Casablanca Nights: Sencha green tea and a little black tea with Moroccan mint and citrusy orange.
*Calming Green: Sencha green tea with chamomile flowers.
*African Beat: Sencha green tea with African rooibos tea mixed with eucalyptus leaves and mandarin and a hint of chilli.

Tea of life, as a concept, was started two years ago by Neetu Sarin out of a love and passion for tea. Says Sarin: “We have been influenced by the age old tea culture and traditions from around the world.”

The oldest traditions around tea come from China and Japan. In both these countries, green tea has been served and consumed for generations. Tea ceremonies and rituals were created to exalt tea to an object of refinement and quality and luxury. Tea was also associated with wisdom and an inner calm. China was the first country to start using flowers like jasmine and chrysanthemum to make flavoured teas. Morocco was one of the first countries to import green tea. They flavoured it with fresh mint and orange blossoms. Indians have been flavouring their tea with spices for centuries. The British created the famous Earl Grey by adding bergamot to tea. In more recent years tea has gained popularity in Europe. It is mixed with flowers and fruits to give it various flavours. Here it is not considered an ordinary everyday drink but something special to be savoured and enjoyed in the same way as a good wine.

Says Sarin: “At Tea of Life, our gourmet teas are created to give you this special taste experience with every sip. We combine the finest Sencha green tea with flowers, fruits, herbs and spices and also leaves, bark, root and seeds of various plants. We combine our passion for tea and an aesthetic sense of taste to bring you a new experience. Every couple of months we introduce new blends. Serving tea is an art and we guide you in selecting tea, temperature, infusing time and quantity of tea.”

At the tea-tasting workshop, Sarin will also guide the participants about the different times of the day when tea can be drunk and also the apt pairing of tea and food. She also says that the kind of teaware used is also important. “We have a range of beautiful artistic teaware which we use in our tea hampers.”

In the workshop, you will be introduced to an interesting ‘tea philosophy’: slow down, take a tea break, let tea lift you above the daily grind and fill you with calm and vitality.

Some other nuggets that Sarin is going to share with the audience is about the origin of tea, processing and blending of tea. She will also discuss at length the therapeutic values of each type of tea.

“We have different flavours for every palette and season. The refreshing Body and Soul blend with lemon and lime is meant for the morning and Calming Green with chamomile flowers is for the night. Casablanca Nights with mint and orange and African Beat is perfect as evening tea. Spice Route is a tea for cold weather and La Vie en Rose is a summer tea.”

What’s more, one can also come away from the workshop with a tea hamper, designed especially by the tea expert. All of these uniquely flavoured teas, carefully packaged to preserve the flavour, are presented with teacups, teapots and other tea accessories in hampers with complementary flavours of Belgian chocolates, cookies and spices. The prices of the hampers start at Rs 450 upwards. The hampers can be customized to suit any budget.
Surabhi Trivedi
 
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Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:18 am

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