Several months ago, while on our walk on a weekend, we stopped by a tea shop because whatever they were brewing smelt amazing. That was the tea we tasted but did not end up buying given the variety of teas they had in the store. Most were mixes but there were some single variety ones too. The one we bought and end up liking a lot was some black tea mixed with verbena and lavender. It is one of our go-to teas during the days and is that perfect middle ground between bright and relaxing - the taste and smell of a workday that goes well, in which things get done and leave you feeling satisfied.
As we started to run low on our now favorite tea, I decided to try making something close at home. My mix combines a low-quality Darjeeling tea with Earl Gray - both loose leaf, as the base. Then I add dried lavender and lemon grass. It took some iterations until the mix in the bowl started to smell like tea and not potpourri. It takes boiling hot water and a five minute steep like a regular black tea. The taste was very satisfying but not quite perfect. I believe the set of ingredients is correct but the proportions need more playing around with until I get it right.
My little experiment in the kitchen took me back decades to childhood in India. My mother's late afternoon tea times were sacrosanct- she sat alone in the balcony with her cup of tea. It was not the time to talk to her - she wanted quiet. When I came of age, I was included in the tea ritual and we did talk about things. She would add flower petals to the tea - rose, jasmine and marigold. Sometimes orange and lemon peel too. It is whatever was blooming in the garden or in the kitchen. Each addition made for a slightly different tea even though the base was typically a Darjeeling of some sort. This was not how she served tea to others. It was her way for herself and at some point the orb expanded to include me.
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