Most packages of commercial tea are made up of a blend of fifteen or more leaves from different areas. There are also some rather special traditional teas that are blended.

English Breakfast tea is a blend of strong Indian teas that gives a full - bodied and fragrant drink.

Earl Grey Tea is a blend of Keemun and Darjeeling teas flavored with oil of bee balm. The recipe was given to the Diplomat Earl Grey by a Chinese mandarin.

Russian Caravan Tea is a blend of fine teas from China, Taiwan, and India. It was originally transported to Russia from India via camel caravan, hence its name.

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All about Indian tea

Tea is drunk in many countries of the world, and each one has its own particular ways for preparation and service. Tea can be served hot or cold, or it can be the base for other drinks such as punches or even it is used to impart flavor and color to foods.

Teas can be made from many spices, such as fennel, caraway, dill, juniper, citrus, anise, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, fenugreek, and sesame, either alone or in combination with other spices.

All the teas produces in India are black teas.

Black tea is drunk strong, often with the addition of a stick of cinnamon, some cardamom pods.

Assam is on of the classic Indian teas, this is grown in the Brahmaputra Valley in northeast India. The taste is strong and malty. The best quality Assam teas contain the "tips" or unopened buds, from the bushes and are known as Tippy Assam.

Darjeeling is another popular tea from Northern India. It has distinctive, delicate flavor. The small, broken-leaf grade produces a light, golden drink with a subtle flavor. Bushes from the highest tea gardens in the foothills of the Himalayas have large leaves that produce teas with a unique "muscatel" flavor of perfumed grapes.

The most notable of all the various Darjeelings is Darjeeling Broken Orange Pekoe, which is sometimes called the champagne of tea.

One of the most exotically flavored teas is Kashmiri tea, which is a blend of green and Darjeeling tea flavored with a mix of crushed green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, chopped almonds and pine nuts.

Proper brewing is essential for good flavor. Use freshly drawn water from the cold faucet and bring to a rolling boil. Warm the teapot with hot water, empty out the water and add the tea. Pour on the water, stir, and leave to stand for 3-5 minutes. Stir again before serving.

Herb teas are the oldest and most reliable form of supplementation known to humankind. When the active components in our carefully selected herbs are infused in hot water, they are available for absorption in the body. Immediately these soothing liquids provide hydration and a fresh herbal taste.

HOT TEA WITH CARDAMOM AND CINNAMON (serves 4)

4 cups water

2 tbsp black tea

6 cardamom pods

2 - inch of cinnamon stick

milk, sugar, honey, lemon to serve (or just plain)

Put black tea to a warm teapot.
Add cardamom pods and cinnamon stick, then pour 4 cups boiling water over the top.
Cover and leave to steep for 4 minutes.
Then strain into cups and serve with milk, sugar, honey, lemon or just plain.

HOT SPICED TEA (serves 4)

4 cups water

1 cup milk

4 tsp tea leaves

1tsp ground ginger

1tsp cardamom pods

1 tsp fennel seeds

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 cinnamon sticks,

6 cloves

sugar to serve

Pour the water into a pan, add tea leaves, ginger, cardamom pods, nutmeg, cinnamon and bring to a boil.
As soon as it boils pour the milk and stir.
Let brew for 4-5 minutes.
Then strain into cups and serve, sweetened with sugar.

HOT TEA WITH CLOVES

(serves 2)

2 cups water

2 tsp tea leaves

1 cinnamon sticks,

10 cloves

sugar to serve

Pour the water into a pan, add tea leaves cloves and bring to a boil.
Let brew for 4-5 minutes.
Then strain into cups and serve, sweetened with sugar.

TEA WITH APRICOT (serves 2)

2 cups water

4 dry apricot

1 tea bag (you can use apricot tea)

2 cardamoms

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cinnamon sticks,

2 cloves

sugar to serve

Pour the water into a pan, add tea bag, dried apricots, cloves, cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.
Let brew for 4-5 minutes.
Then strain into cups, add lemon juice and serve, sweetened with sugar.

COLD SPICED TEA (serves 4)

as above except milk.

To serve: crushed ice, lemon juice

Pour the water into a pan, add tea leaves, ginger, cardamom pods, nutmeg, cinnamon and bring to a boil.
Brew for 3-4 min. Strain into heatproof pitcher. Let it cool, then put to the refrigerator to chill.
To serve, fill tall glasses with crushed ice and pour the tea. Top up with lemon juice, sweeten with sugar.
Decorate with slice of lime or lemon.

Tip. Brew tea extra strong as the addition of ice cubes will dilute the taste.

MINTY SPICED ICE TEA

(serves 4)

4 tea bags

6 cups of water

2 cinnamon sticks

2 inch of fresh ginger

1 tbsp of lemon juice

5 springs of mint

sugar to taste

Boil water with ginger and cinnamon.

Add tea bags, brew for 3-4 minutes.

Add fresh mint.

Put aside to cool.

Strain.

Add lemon juice.

Pour 2 cups into ice tray to make ice cubes. Put to the freezer and rest of the tea put into the fridge.

When the ice cubes are solid pour tea into the tall glass.

Decorate with spring of mint and slice of lemon.

GINGER SPICED TEA (serves 4)

4 cups water

2 - inch of fresh ginger

3 tbsp honey

Peel a ginger and chop coarsely.

Pour the water into a pan, add honey, chopped ginger, and bring to a boil.

Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Uncover, turn up heat slightly and leave for 15 minutes.

Then strain into cups and serve.

HOT TEA WITH ANISE (serves 4)

4 cups water

5 tsp anise seeds

4 tsp black tea

milk, sugar, honey, lemon to serve (or just plain)

Put anise seeds into boiling water. Cover and steep for ten minutes.

Strain, and bring to boil again.

Warm a teapot, then put in black tea.

Pour the boiling anise over the tea, cover, and leave for 3 minutes.

Then strain into cups and serve with milk, sugar, honey, lemon or just plain.

FENUGREEK TEA (serves 4)

2 cups water

2 tsp fenugreek seeds

honey and lemon to taste

Warm a teapot, then put 2 tsp fenugreek seeds into it.

Pour on boiling water to just cover the seeds. Leave for 10 minutes or longer for the taste to develop.

When wanted, pour in more boiling water, stir and serve with honey and lemon.

HOT TODDY (serves 4)

1 1/4 fresh made Darjeeling tea

1/4 cup (50 ml) whiskey

1/4 cup ginger wine

4 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

In a saucepan, combine the tea, whiskey, wine, cloves and cinnamon.

Warm over the gentle heat, don't boil. Allow to infuse for 3-5 minutes.

Strain into mugs and serve immediately.

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