Curioser and Curiositea; 'Turkish Apple, Yoghurt & Lime'

Firstly, merry Easter to one and all. Hope your Bank Holiday weekend has been relaxing and fruitful and everything you wanted from it. I also hope you hangovers tomorrow from excess wine and champers on this day of resurrection are not overly painful and that, unlike Jesus, you won't need three days to rise again.

I am well underway with my celebrations. The roast has been cooked and eaten, the vegan brownies devoured, the Oxford Cambridge boat race on the televisual screen and a pot of fancy tea brewed and being sipped upon.

How better to do Easter than with tea? And I figured I ought to share this little bit of Sunday joy with you all.

Today we have opted (amongst many) to indulge in 'Turkish Apple, Yoghurt & Lime'. It was one half of a gift from a friend for allowing her to stay at mine a few weekends ago. It was bought somewhere in York, I believe, from a company called Hebden Tea. In truth, I only know this because their logo is blazoned across the label. I have tried this tea before now, and I am certainly a fan, but this is my first time sharing it with family. I say family; I mean my father. He's like my back up tea drinker, with whom I bounce opinions on tea off of.

This tea is technically not a tea; it is, and I can hear your shudder the other side of the internet, a fruit infusion. I know, I know. I am a heathen. But hear me out. While supermarket bought, mass produced fruit infusions often taste like nought but hot water, or occasionally like it has been sieved through a shirt, artisan fruit infusions can be very pleasant. I have no qualms with finely made fruit infusions.

So, this Turkish tea, what of it? It is made up from solid pieces of dried apple, pineapple and lemongrass; there is also some flavouring, which I presume is the 'yoghurt' portion of this beverage. After letting it brew for a solid six or seven minutes (fruit infusions need this long, otherwise their flavour is weak and pitiful) it was ready for drinking. It has an intense yellow colour and a strong aroma, a heady mix of sweet pineapple and sharp lemongrass.

The flavour is powerful; both sweet and sour, yet well balanced. It reminds me of Swizzel-Matlow's Refreshers; almost fizzy, sugary sweet and biting at the back of your tongue. I find it, much like the namesake of the sweet, rather refreshing. It is not the sort of tea you would drink after a heavy meal, or when you want to relax, but more something on a clear summer afternoon, when you want a pick me up but don't fancy reaching for a chocolate bar. It's the sort of drink I can imagine enjoying while on a laugh-filled picnic with close friends.

When asked, Mr Dad had to say 'it reminds me of lemon meringue or warm Lipton's. I feel that it would be nice iced on a nice, hot summer's day'. I have to agree with the latter sentiment; this would be divine chilled, too cool down. Hopefully I will remember this on the one day of British summer.

Overall, if you dare to venture in to the heretical world of real fruit infusions, this is definitely a good place to start. If you're already a damned tea heathen, then it is still worth sampling if you ever get the chance.

London Tea Club: February and 'Blossoms & Berries'

It would appear that I am doomed to forever be playing catch up. It's not that I've taken a sudden, adverse liking to tea drinking, no, no. Just, as always, my tea drinking happens much quicker and at a more timely fashion than do my review write ups.

(I've also contracted a ghastly bought of flu, followed by repeated migraine attacks. Not that this is an excuse for such a long time in writing, but it hasn't helped.)

So let's all make like Time Lords and return to colder times; February. My second delivery and quite possibly even cuter than the first. As February is the month of adoration, this little box came not only with the three test tubes of teas, but a little pair of handmade, heart shaped biscuits. Rose petal and lavender, in adorably bite sized pieces by the company Sweet Carolina. Definitely unexpected, but brought a smile to my face on a blearly, blustery evening. Furthermore, as I was inspecting the teas themselves, I realised that on the reverse side of the monthly news letter, there was a recipe for the biscuits themselves. Something I thought was particularly attentive, was that the recipe included vegan alternatives for the milk, eggs and butter. As some of you may be aware I have recently been trying to cut down on my consumption of animal products and, being lactose intolerant and having grown up living with someone allergic to eggs, I've been a long time fan of veganising food, so as to incorprate everyone's dietry requirements so no one has to miss out on tasty treats just because their guts say knob off. Basically, I think it's really great that people are taking into consideration that not everyone can, or wants to, eat 'regular' food.

Sweet Carolina get a thumbs up from me, for being awesome and accomodating; I really love it when people go the extra mile in regards to food. Going that bit further for 'me' (and anyone who can't/won't have animal products). So often I have to go without, as do many people I know with dietry requirements, so it's really nice to be able to be included. Seriously guys, go one step further in accomodating your friends who have a different diet to you; you'll really make their day. Always makes mine.

Anyway. As lovely a surprise as not only biscuits but a vegan biscuit recipe was, I'm actually here to talk about the tea.

This box came with three teas, flavoured black tea Jasmine Chai, black tea Park Lane, and a rooibos Blossom & Berries. Quite different from January's box, this selection seems more playful and certainly more vibrant in colours. Perhaps it was an attempt to 'warm up', or to mimic the 'love in the air' that frolics freely in February.



Today I'm going to review Blossom & Berries. My first 'herbal' tea from London Tea Club. Rooibos, or 'red bush' (Aspalathus linearis) is a 'tea' (it is not truly tea, as it is not from the Camelia sinenesis plant) from the South African region. It is apparently part of the legume family, so I guess it's a pea tea, really. It's also naturally caffeine free, which is usually toted around as rooibos' selling point over Camelia sinensis; which is great for those who care and, well, wholly irrelevant for those who aren't over fussed what boost their beverage gives them. I suppose it would make it the tea of the pregnant though.

Visually, the tea is a deep russet, with flashes of purple and orange, where the assorted petals and flowers add to the mix. Upon unstoppering the tube, you are met with a piquant scent, sharp and undeniably fruity. It almost smells more like something you would find at Lush than in a tea box.

My first thought is of strawberries, or perhaps raspberries. The 'berry' title is unmistakable, although putting a finger directly on which is a little more complex. Certainly, it smells like a medly of English hedgerow treats. The card mentions the use of blueberries, although to me, the tea smells much sharper than that. Perhaps the red hue of the leaves mistakenly lead the nose to berries of a similar shade.

Still, there is no denying the berries in the name is well deserved. And blossoms; mustn't forget those. It appears, from sight if not scent, that the blossoms are lavender and rose. According to the card, rosehips also play a pivotal role in the flavouring, alongside currents and raisins, which I guess count as berries? Are grapes berries? I guess they must be; not something I had ever really stopped to consider before, just that grapes were generically fruit.

I opted to try this tea in my one of my favourite tea infusers, a whimsical floating duck, rather than a teapot, and drink it from my Alice teacup. I love this infuser; just look at the little quacky grin as it swims about in its tea-y pond. Furthermore, when it's finished brewing, you place the little ducky in a plastic pond, to catch the drips.

The taste, much like the scent, is much stronger than you'd first expect, although no unpleasantly so. Those who prefer flavoursome teas lacking in delicacy and subtlety, would be a fan of Blossom & Berries. As before, it certainly invokes images of the British countryside. Once again, I feel like there is a strong flavour of strawberry and raspberry, despite knowing that neither of these are listed. The 'blossoms' are less distinct, but help create a heady aroma that fills the senses. It tastes of summer, it tastes of the jam in your cream tea. It's delightful, although I've yet to sample a tea from London Tea Club that hasn't been.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this tea, and it was very distinct from those in January's box. I am truly delighted with the variety I've been recieving each month and have to say that February hasn't been a let down either. I would recommend this tea to anyone who likes strongly flavoured teas and herbal flavours that don't taste like soaked socks. This is for those who enjoy something brightly flavoured, in the middle of the day when there's half an hour to spare on kicking back and relaxing.