Mela Teas

110/365

I did a bit of background research on Tulsi today – also known as Holy Basil. I knew about it’s Ayurvedic connections, but I don’t think I properly realised that it’s related to Italian/Sweet Basil. Somehow, I’ve just never made that connection. Tulsi is supposed to be less sweet, with a stronger flavour.

This Tulsi is plain and unflavoured, and hails from Sri Lanka. There’s a lot of talk on the label about how it’s grown next to the Indian Ocean, and how the terroir affects the flavour and quality of the leaf. I totally get this, because when I took my first sip (before reading any of the label notes) I immediately thought “salt” – now I know it was grown in a potentially salty location, I understand that better.

This is a salty, deeply savoury cup. Basil, to me, is pretty savoury anyway, and this tea is basically like basil on steroids. It’s not nearly as aromatic or fragrant as Italian basil in plant form, but the same basic flavour is there. It comes across as a little medicinal, but not in an obnoxious way. It’s actually very pleasant and soothing, and is making me feel more meditative.

I didn’t really expect to enjoy this one, because I haven’t really enjoyed tulsi blends in the past. This one has made me reevaluate that, though, and that’s one of the things I love about this tea journey we’re on.

This one I was hoping would be as awesome as the garlic tea was that I had from Mela Teas a bit ago, but the ginger just wasn’t there. It was like there was a dusting of ginger instead of actual ginger pieces. The tea itself was delicious just lacking the ginger part.

Happy Thursday everyone!

http://www.cuppageek.com/index.php/2015/09/17/pearl-ginger-from-mela-teas/

Yep, reading that right. Garlic Tea. And it was actually good. The garlic pieces were pretty good sized but the tea mellowed the garlic a bit. Very savory and didn’t stink up the office too much. The garlic tasted so incredibly fresh! I really liked this one. Didn’t think I would, but it just really works.

The packaging on this tea was beautiful and I learned that this company gives back. They are currently helping build a school and a library in Kenya. This will be a define purchase in the future for a larger size. I want to cook with this.

Oh and to pull a bit of my horror geek into this review- This tea would keep Dracula away for sure!

Happy sipping all!

http://www.cuppageek.com/index.php/2015/06/04/tea-of-the-day-colombo-garlic-tea-from-mela-teas/