Maranda Barnes tells Shalini Saksena what it takes to make that perfect cup of tea from the finest blends from across the globe
Tea, a drink with jam and bread. Or so sang Julie Andrews in the movie Sound of Music. The words conjured up an image — an afternoon in london sipping a cup of that perfect English Earl Grey with finger sandwiches and dainty tea cakes. Some may say that it is difficult to do so in today’s hectic life. Not any more.
One can now enjoy a perfect cup of tea chosen from the world’s finest teas. With an acute understanding of the ever evolving tastes of the modern tea drinker, Maranda Barnes, co-founder and director of business development, TWG Tea, says that their brand, the world’s leading luxury tea brand, gives an opportunity to choose flavours from across 800 different single estate harvest brought from across 45 countries under one roof.
But there are some dos and don’ts before you can actually get that perfect taste. Only the most discerning tea drinker will be able to make out the difference between preparing tea by boiling the leaves at 120-125° Celsius and simmering water at 80-90° Celsius.
Unlike most tea drinkers in India, who love their masala chai, these high-end luxury teas — the most expensive being the yellow gold tea buds from Szechwan, China, costing Rs 39,000 for a mere 50 gm, may be a delicacy. For now, however, TWG Tea’s most expensive one at the The Oberoi and DlF Emporio store is white tea priced at Rs 7,000 per 50 gm. There is also a procedure to prepare it or one will not get the real essence and taste.
“There are four golden rules. First, the water. It has to be absolutely pure — free from calcium, chlorine, etc. Second, the temperature at which one needs to simmer, not boil it. Invest in a kitchen thermometre. Typically, the temperature should be around 80-90° Celsius. Third, the infusion time should be around three minutes but this would vary depending on the tea one is using. Fourth, always remove the tea leaves. Many countries have a traditions of re-infusing the leaves. But it becomes bitter. When you remove the leaves, you will end up having the entire tea pot from the first cup to the last,” Barnes promises.
She tells you that while it is fine to add just a dash of milk, her tea line tastes better without sugar. This to enjoy the flavour of the tea itself which gets overpowered if one adds sugar.
If all this information is too much to assimilate, fret not. The store has a tea trainer who will take you through all the stages of tea making and even help you choose the right flavour. She will tell you that while one can infuse the tea in any pot, ceramic is the best option. Also, drink tea in a cup (20 ml) and not a mug (200 ml). But if gulping a mug is your thing, just add the extra teaspoon — not heap but level depending on how large the mug is.
It was Barnes’ passion for tea that led her and her husband to bring together the finest leaves in the world for people to enjoy. “We wanted to create a unique selection of teas which we didn’t see on a a global level. When we launched in Singapore, the premise was to introduce tea to a country which doesn’t have a very strong tea drinking tradition. Ours is kind of a UN of teas from around the world. We knew from the beginning that we didn’t want it to be a local brand but a global one. This is because there are customers who travel and want to know if they can get these teas back home. We set the bars as high as we could and we knew expectations would be high as well,” Barnes says.
The teas had to be the finest. The boutique had to be beautiful. But this is what the brand wanted to offer to the customers who walked in. “The journey has been interesting, difficult and an exceptional experience of my life,” Barnes tells you. For her it is tea from a single blend. “Given the number of teas I have had in the course of my journey, I would now say that it depends on the season. For example, during festivities I like a tea that has a blend of spices. But during summers, I will probably have white tea from China. It is very pure and lowers your body temperature. If I have to stay awake, it is definitely English Breakfast,” Barnes says.
Then there are teas to uplift your mood, called Eternal Summer. It is caffeine free and is blended with hibiscus and berries. Very-very fruity. It gives you that little bit of happiness.
There is tea for students too. Given the fact that it is exam time in India, Barnes recommends Darjeeling. It gives the boost and is energy giving. The students can also go for any black tea — 1837 Black — smooth and a bit fruity,” Barnes recommends. TWG also has signature teas, like Silver Moon.
In India, the story is a little different. “It is a tea drinking nation and we found that around 55 per cent of the youth enjoy tea. Hence coming here makes sense,” Barnes says.
TWG tea bags are different too, packaged in foil. The pouch is made from pure cotton cloth. Paper, as is commonly used in most tea bags, if left for long sometimes breaks or melts into the tea, ruining the flavour. Cotton is a natural fibre which helps infuse better. Also there is no stapler. Each string of the bag is hand woven to the paper to hold the tea bag.
“People visiting our store are not there to buy their everyday tea. They are people who have heard about our tea and want to buy a flavour they like or they come looking for an experience of a classic tea like the Moroccan Mint (Rs 800 per 50 gm) or the Jasmine Oolong (Rs 1,160 per 50 gm) or even the lavender Kiss (Rs 2,310 per 50 gm), a flower tea,” Barnes tells you in detail.