Splendid Blended Tea

Lore has it that tea was discovered in 2737 BC when a few dried tea leaves blew into Chinese emperor Shen Nong’s cup of boiled water. From this simple birth the consumption of tea spread throughout China and in 758 AD a Tang Dynasty writer named Yu Lu published Cha Jing (“Tea Bible” or “Tea Classic”), a tome that came to be considered the categorical imperative for everything pertaining to tea.

Demand for tea steepened and drinkers began experimenting by combining the leaf with ginger, spices, flowers, and herbs for medicinal purposes. Beginning in the 8th century, open trade routes brought the Camellia Sinesis plant around the world, although it wasn’t until the 12th century that the plant would be cultivated outside of China.

In Japan, the preparation of green tea would earn an iconoclastic status as an art form, yet the process would not blend any other ingredients with the tea. In other countries, however, tea drinkers began to experiment with local herbs, spices, and even fruits to create custom blends. Indian chai masala featured locally grown black tea with green cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, and ginger.

Twinings, a prominent English tea company, began replicating a blended tea for Earl Grey, an English diplomat, in the mid-1800s using bergamot oil extracted from the bergamot orange and a mixture of several types of black tea (Ceylon, Darjeeling, Lapsang Souchong, and Chinese). The balance created by its distinct citrus aroma and smoky taste has helped Earl Grey become the best selling blended tea in history.

Contemporary blending focuses on enhancing the taste of a tea, ensuring uniform quality, and even creating mélanges specifically for food-pairing purposes. A custom blend is not difficult to prepare at home as it requires only a patient palate and an adventurous approach; blended creations can include almost any ingredient, including dried pineapple, licorice root, cumin, myrrh, cantaloupe essence, and even ashwaganda (a potent Ayurvedic herb). Pictured above: a custom blend of schizandra berry, amber oolong, and plum essence creates a tangy, tart brew can be found at http://www.remedyteas.com/.

Make Chai, Not War: Chai History and Recipes - http://www.vastuchai.com/history.htm