Rare Tea co
Last week I got a surprise package by Rare tea co., which were so kind to send me three varieties of their loose tea accompanied with their super nice glass teapot.
Impressed by their packaging and high recommendations from prestigious hotels, chefs and restaurants I decided to give Rare tea co. a try.
Their packaging is full of geometric patterns, making it really stand out from other brands, but the design doesn't feel overcrowded or too much. Instead, the information and details are presented clear, simple and straightforward way. The teas are also stored in a lovely metal container, keeping the tea fresh and preventing it from drying out.
When making tea, water temperature is the crucial ingredient. Each type of tea has it's own temperature range and this is when it can develop its true flavor, color, and effect.
For example, while green and white tea spoil when adding boiling water, fruit tea isn't that picky :)
Here is the basic rule:
Green and white tea -> add water around 70 degrees Celsius
Pro tip: Try to soak the loose leaves in 50 ml of cold water per cup prior to adding hot water. This way, you won't cause a temperature shock to the leaves, letting the tea develop its true flavor.
Black tea -> add water around 80-90 degrees Celsius
(Preparing green tea)
If you don't have a good teapot, the leaves can get inside your cup quite easily, which can be quite annoying. This is where a tea strainer comes in handy.
This is quite cleverly solved by the teapot from Rare tea co. If you look inside you can see a metallic spiral that keeps the leaves from running out of the teapot. The strainer is easily attached with a spring and a hook, keeping it safe in place.
Like the name already implies, some of their tea is very rare, with only a few kilos produced each year. Others can be grown on a larger scale. All of their tea is crafted by skilled men and women on independent farms, not industrially processed by large agri-businesses. They believe in Fairtrade, that is why they buy the harvests directly from farmers, not a commodity from brokers.
No wonder their tea is recommended by some of the most prestigious hotels, chefs, and restaurants in the world, like Eleven Madison Park, Gordon Ramsay, Noma...
I had the opportunity to try their English breakfast, Jasmine silver tip and my favorite Earl Grey tea, each of which I really enjoyed. Their rich flavors and smell is what will make you forget the tea bags you're currently using and jump on the loose tea bandwagon, like me :)
Thanks again, Rare tea co. :*