We all Indians love to start our day with a cup of tea or “chai”. Many of us have around 4 to 5 cups of tea a day. But I am sure that majority people have atleast 2 to 4 cups of tea during the day. Last Friday I attended a tea-tasting event at Soul City, Oakwood Premier, UB City, Bangalore. Being a tea lover I always wanted to learn more about tea and how to brew the perfect tea. This was the first time that I attended a tea-tasting event. Apart from tasting different types of teas, I also learnt lots of things about tea.
The tea tasting event was sponsored by Sublime House of Tea. There was a talk and a cook-off. Anamika Singh who is a tea-taster by profession engaged the audience in a 30-minute demo on tea appreciation. Following this there was a tea tasting session. I got to learn lots of notes about tea.
Anamika Singh started her talk by saying that “tea is one beverage which completely centers you”. You bond over tea when you have it with a group of friends. She shared lots of interesting things about tea and various types of teas. I also learnt that tea is also grown in Orissa and Bihar and not just Coorg and Darjeeling. Oh and did you know that tea comes from different bushes? Yes! Assam CTC comes from Assam bush and Darjeeling tea comes from China bush. Oh did you know that Nepal and Sri Lanka are also sources tea?
So did you ever wonder what goes into making of tea leaves? Ok, Only the tender unopened leaves are plucked from the tea bush to make tea and not all the leaves from the bush. Many such interesting things were shared about tea at the tea appreciation event.
The tea expert also told us that we should sip tea and not “drink” tea. She also told how we should taste tea. First smell the tea and then take a sip and first taste it by swirling in the mouth and swallow it. Tea should not be drunk like a soft drink, but we have to enjoy and sip it. Also remember, we should sip tea without sugar, honey or milk to reap maximum health benefits.
Anamika also told how we should buy tea. Never go by the box and packaging. But you should know from where the tea is sourced. Just like how you buy your vegetables, you should be very particular while buying tea.
We infuse Darjeeling tea and brew masala chai or Assam tea. The moment we add sugar and milk to tea and boil it continuously the health benefits of tea die down.
I never knew that water also plays an important role while infusing tea. Water is the mother of tea. It should be at the right temperature. If tea does not taste right, it means either the source was not right or the tea was not done properly. Also while making tea, first add tea leaves to the pot and then pour water from a height on to the leaves. This ensures that the leaves uncurl and open out to better release their flavours.
Tea should always be served in transparent glass cups. We always first taste with our eyes, so let it look visually appealing. Infuse tea in rounded glass or porcelain pots. The round pots allow the tea leaves enough space to move around and to release the flavor.
During the session we were also tasting different types of teas. The first tea which I tasted was the Darjeeling tea. The tea has rich muscatel aroma with floral finish. It is also referred to as 'Champagne of Teas'. It has a light, flavourful and thoroughly distinctive taste.
Followed by this we tasted Sublime’s Green Jasmine Mandarin tea. These are premium green tea leaves having the Jasmine fragrance and dried mandarin orange. The delicate fragrance of jasmine makes the green tea refreshing and leaves us feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.
The next tea which came for tasting was the Sublime’s White Tea with Raspberry flavor. The white tea was everyone’s favorite as it has a delicate fruity raspberry flavor. I can have this tea any number of time in a day.
Now tasting white tea.. @sublimetea @ubcitybangalore pic.twitter.com/2dCQhVSp34
— Raksha's Kitchen (@rujal29) August 26, 2016
Some tea storage tips were also shared. We normally store the tea in kitchen. But according to Anamika Singh, tea should be stored in cool, dry, dark cupboard away from direct sunlight and away from kitchen. Exposure to moisture reduces their flavour.
Sublime House of Tea will also sell some gadgets specially to be use for brewing tea. We got to see some tea timers and infusers at the event too. The tea timers are sand clocks which can be used to time the brewing process.
During the second part of the session Chef Michael Swamy spoke about teas and cooking with teas. He also put together a special cocktail with limited edition tea.
For whiskey use oolong tea which is stronger and for vodka use rose flavour tea @sublimetea @ubcitybangalore pic.twitter.com/L4HOWxQtKG
— Raksha's Kitchen (@rujal29) August 26, 2016
Chef Michael Swamy spoke about smoking meats like lamb and duck. He smoked chicken with tea. He demonstrated two recipes that used tea. Vegetarian pesto salad was served to vegetarians and chicken salad smoked that was smoked with tea leaves was served to non-vegetarians.
Then Chef Michael demonstrated making of cocktails with tea. For whiskey he suggested to use strong flavored teas like oolong tea and for vodka use lighter rose in bloom tea. The rose in bloom is a herbal tisane that combines rose petals, liquorice, fennel, aniseed, pepper and nutmeg. This fresh brew cools the body down and is an excellent digestive drink.
The tea tasting session went really well and at the end of the session I was richer in knowledge about tea. It was a gift for a tea lover like me.
Sublime House of Tea:
Sublime House of Tea was started in 2013 by Uzma Irfan who is the Executive Director of Prestige Group and Founder of Sublime Galleria. Sublime House of Tea’ is promoted by the Prestige Group and Sublime Galleria.
The tea has been handpicked with care to value quality and diversity rather than quantity. There are various types of Sublime teas in its portfolio. From sought after bouquets such as Green Tea, Assam Tea and English Breakfast to intriguing localized brews like Moroccan Mint, and Seventh Heaven, eclectic admixtures like White Tea with Raspberry and the complex flavors of herbal tisanes like Rose in Bloom and Chamomile, there is a tea to suit every palate and occasion.
The tea is packed in pyramid tea bags, rather than the regular filter paper tea bags, thus further enhancing the taste of the tea by giving the fullness of the liquor. The ancient Chinese believed that tea can be used in treatment of wide variety of medical conditions. Recent studies show that white and green tea is rich in catechins. Catechins are a variety of antioxidants that help to counter the harmful effects of free radical cells in our body and lower cholesterol levels. Drinking tea can potentially be beneficial in preventing diseases like cancer, neurological conditions and coronary heart diseases. Studies are being conducted the world over to determine the exact nature and extent of the benefits.
For more information on Sublime House of Tea - visit:
http://www.sublimehouseoftea.com/welcome
While I was walking for the tea tasting session, I also got to see some beautiful art works in Sublime Galleria.
Sublime Galleria merges the essence of the artworks that inspire the existence of Infinite Divinity with a blend of unique flavours brought together by Sublime House of Tea to rejuvenate your evening.
Last week I went for a tea appreciation event with Sublime House of Tea. On the way I saw some beautiful art works by Sublime Galleria at UB City. If you are an art lover, you should visit the Sublime Galleria at UB City, Bangalore. #artfestivalbengaluru #yesbankab7 #artfestival #art #bangalorediaries #Bangalore #vblog #foodandtravel #beautyful #sublime #tea #ubcitybangalore #ubcity #artbengaluru7 #painting #fineart @ubcity.bangalore @sublimehouseoftea #sublimehouseoftea
A video posted by Raksha Kamat (@rakshaskitchen) on
Sep 2, 2016 at 1:29pm PDT
The Galleria invites art enthusiasts and tea lovers alike to come, indulge and savour the moments, best suiting one's own tranquility.
Let me wind up the post here. Stay tuned for more posts on the restaurants that we visited at UB City.
Also visit www.ubcitybangalore.in for more details about UB City.
For more interesting posts of this type follow Raksha's Kitchen on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest