High tea in city

By Willie Gordon Suting

A cup of tea is always rejuvenating. But what if your tea pot brews something more than the usual cuppa and ensures health benefits, besides curing your fatigued body and soul?
Young tea taster Suzana Syiem recently introduced an audience of over 20 people to fine tea drinking and complementary snacks at Dylan’s Cafe.
The tea tasting started with an exotic produce from China. White Tea is one of the Asian giant’s special treasures made from the youngest and most tender hand-picked leaf tips and buds. These give a fresh and delicate flavour and a silver coloured brew from which White Tea gets its name. Because of the laborious and detail-oriented process, it’s also one of the most expensive teas produced in the world.
White Tea is mainly produced in the Jianyang, Fuding and Songxi counties in Fujian Province. These hilly territories with their red and yellow mountain soils, year-round mild climate and abundant rainfall contribute to White Tea’s unique character.
Syiem served White Tea with cucumber and cheese canape. Refreshing and pleasant, she said this type of tea is best with light snacks.
“And there are health benefits. White Tea helps curb many illnesses like cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, low blood pressure, dental cavities and common cold,” the tea connieseur explained.
Black Tea, another brew from China, was next on the list. This has a unique place in the world of tea. It was brought from the country by the British to London and then transplanted in South East Asia.
Served in a small glass cup, there is a sense of warmth in its aroma. As Syiem sipped the tea while encouraging the audience to do so, she said, “Black tea is best without sugar and milk. It helps kick-start the day!”
Heart ailments, diarrhoea, asthma, diabetes, digestive problems, high cholesterol, breast cancer, weight loss and Parkinson’s disease can be curbed by consuming Black Tea.
The next variety of tea was Lapsang Souchong. Also referred to as smoked tea, it is one of the worlds’ oldest and most distinctive black teas. The tea is grown in the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian Province of China.
Lapsang Souchong is prepared using the same manual techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. After the tea is plucked, the leaves are withered over cypress or pinewood fires. They are later placed into barrels so that the smoky aroma intensifies.
As a final step, the leaves are placed into flat wicker baskets and positioned on bamboo trays over smoky pine fires where they dry and absorb even more aroma. The finished tea leaves are thick and black and when steeped in hot water, produce a rich tea with unique, smoky taste.
“Lapsang Souchong is meant to be slurped when drinking,” Syiem said as she demonstrated it to the amused audience.
Having the smell of smoke, she encouraged the audience to slurp, also adding that it is perfect for winters. Served with onion rings and barbeque sauce, the amateur tea tasters’ eyes lit up as they enjoyed the brew.
Lapsang Souchong helps in curbing cancer, cardiovascular disease, stress, weight loss and lowering cholesterol level.
Chamomile Tea served with Banana Bread has a stellar reputation for healing. Prepared from dried daisy flowers, it brings an oasis of calm and tranquillity.
The beautiful chamomile flower is native to Egypt and blooms during early summer months. Chamomile tea contains chamazulene, an aromatic chemical compound that possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antispasmodic properties.
“Chamomile tea helps in diabetes, insomnia, immunity, migraine, muscle spasms, menstrual cramps, ageing and skin problems,” said Syiem.
The next in line was a brew indigenous to Vietnam and came with a platter of fresh Vietnamese spring rolls.
Premium Lotus Tea has the smell of lotus flower. “This type of tea is usually served during ceremonies, it makes the drinker happy and cheerful,” Syiem smiled.
The tea remains one of the country’s costliest produce. It was exclusive to royalty, the elite and literati in feudal times, and was deemed as one of local men’s three refined pastimes during the 19th and 20th centuries.
A resident of Malki, Syiem completed her certification in tea tasting from Infinitea Connieseur Tea Bar in Bangalore , which is said to be the first tea bar in India.
Syiem, who regularly blogs about tea on her Facebook page, says she has organised such type of events in Bangalore in some of its cafes and tea rooms. She has also organised it at home. She says tea tasting has been a long passion for her and that her objective to collaborate with Dylan’s Café was to “promote fine tea consumption to benefit in wellness.”
Having read lots of books on tea and researching online, Syiem connects with tea masters around the world.
Though tied to her job at Tata Consultancy Services, Bangalore, she still finds time to purchase exotic tea from the city. She says cheerfully, “I also have friends who travel who get me exotic tea”.