Are you having a bad day at the office? Are you simply fed up of the daily chores?
Well, all that you might be requiring is a cup of freshly brewed tea. Someone has rightly said,
“If you are cold, tea will warm you;
If you are too heated, it will cool you down;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you up;
If you are excited, it will calm you.”
Such is the magic of tea.
If you are a tea aficionado and you cannot think about starting your day without a cup of this magical potion, then you must have heard the terms “Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling” and “breakfast blend”.
Can you explain the basic difference between the usual tea blends and a single estate tea? If the answer is no, then you must read on to gather vital information.
The blends are commonly available. This is because of two important factors. Firstly, tea is subjected to climatic conditions. Secondly, the quality, consistency has a major role to play. The characteristics of the tea majorly depend on these two essential elements.
Most of the reputed tea brands aim at selling the finest quality products to the customers. In case you wish to go for 100% Assam tea, then it is important to pay attention to the fact that the state experiences an unseasonably warm winter. And the tea of the spring time will definitely taste different in comparison to the previous spring.
In case a tea company is planning to come up with a blend that will comprise of 20% Ceylon, 20% Assam, 30% Keemun and 30% Nilgiri, the difference in the elements will not have a drastic effect on the overall tea’s flavour.
Golden Rule: When the companies are mixing different varieties to produce a single product, then they are basically aiming at getting a stable flavour that will be cherished by most of the people. This is like a trick of the trade.
What is the single origin tea?
This variety is from a specific region. The area can be a small country or a sub-region of a bigger country. “Single estate tea” is a closely related term and it stands for the variety that has been produced in a specific garden or tea estate.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the amazing advantages of such kind of varieties.
The area has a major role to play as it will have a major impact on the flavour of the tea. There are several geographical factors that will contribute like soil and climate and these will decide the ultimate taste of the beverage.
So when you are selecting such type of products, then you will surely experience the assortment of aromas and flavours of the product of a particular region.
Sampling different assortments is the best way to get to know about the teas and can help you in the selection process.
Also, when you have exact information about the area of origin, you can get to know about the process of production. These can have an impact on the sustainability.
For instance, you will get to know about the varieties that are produced in environmentally stable manner, or the methods that will protect the basic rights of the garden owners and workers.
How is single origin tea different from the blends?
Many people think that single origin varieties are usually very expensive. However, this is not the case. For example, Broken Black Tea Leaves (Upton Tea) is of single origin tea and is one of the lowest-priced ranges.
These are also known as “premium teas” or “gourmet teas”. So one tends to believe that these are of the finest quality and also, much more costly in comparison to the blends.
But it is important to pay attention to the fact that this is not the case. Many a times you will find that the single origin ones are much cheaper than blends. Blending requires more tasting, adjusting and energy to get the perfect taste.
So you need to take a call while selecting the assortment for the steamy cup of the tempting brew.
