Which Tea Should You Try? Start with Flavours You Enjoy
Choosing a tea is easier when you begin with flavours you already enjoy. Someone who likes citrus peel may want a different cup from someone drawn to pastries or the taste of tea leaves themselves. Neither needs to choose the most expensive tin first.
Start with aroma, then look at the base
Think about the scent you would like in your cup. Earl Grey is one direction to explore if you enjoy citrus. Floral blends invite you to look for a particular flower, while unflavoured teas let you focus on the tea itself.
Next, check whether the base is black, green or white tea, or an infusion made from other plants. Two blends described as fruity can feel quite different when their bases differ. A flavour name is a clue, rather than a complete description.
Dammann Frères’ flavoured green teas offer one example of a tea base paired with fruity and floral aromas.
A few directions to explore
If you enjoy citrus peel, read about Earl Grey and citrus blends, then check the tea base.
If you like flowers or fruit, begin with one familiar aroma. Decide whether you are looking for a tart drink or simply a fruit fragrance.
If you want to get to know the leaves themselves, try one unflavoured tea before comparing it with a blend. There is no need to sample a whole collection at once.
Ask three practical questions
Will you drink it plain or with milk? Look at the advice for the particular tea rather than assuming every blend suits the same approach.
Do you enjoy tartness, or just a fruit aroma? A fruity description does not necessarily mean the brewed drink will taste sweet or sour. Read the description alongside the ingredients.
Would you rather measure loose leaves or lift out a sachet when brewing is finished? An easy format can make the difference between a tea you admire and one you actually drink.
Let the first cup teach you something
Buy an amount you can reasonably finish. Follow the pack instructions for quantity, water temperature and brewing time, then note whether you want less intensity, more flavour or a different aroma. Change one thing at a time.
Notice both aroma and taste. You do not need elaborate tasting vocabulary: “lovely citrus, a little too strong” is useful information for your next cup. Dammann Frères’ approach to tasting also brings sight, smell and taste into the process.
Why variety matters to Happy Gourmet
The variety within Dammann Frères is one reason Happy Gourmet chose to import the brand. We are interested in the ways floral, fruity and herbal aromas meet tea, while keeping the ingredients of each recipe clear.
We would like that variety to give you somewhere to start. Once you find a cup you enjoy, another aroma or tea base can be your next small experiment. Your favourite may simply be the one you want to brew again on an ordinary day.