Wild Strawberry Naturally Flavoured Black Tea

• Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
• Region: Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula or Uva districts
• Shipping Port: Colombo
• Grade: OP (Orange Pekoe)
• Altitude: 4800 - 7600 feet above sea level
• Manufacturer Type: Orthodox
• Cup Characteristics: Slightly more full bodied than our Strawberry tea. The infusion immediately hits the nose with the sweet aromas of freshly picked wild strawberries. A great warm-me-up.
• Infusions: Bright and Coppery
• Ingredients: Luxury black tea, Natural dried papaya, Freeze dried strawberry, Blackberry leaves, Natural flavors.

The wild strawberry is a member of the rose family and is known scientifically as Fragaria Virginiana. It is also sometimes known as the Wood Strawberry because of its propensity for growing throughout many of North America’s forests. But they don’t stop there - wild strawberries grow just about anywhere. The creeping plant can be found in fields, lawns, streamsides, riverbanks, even roadside ditches. They grow in clusters up to about 6 inches tall and usually bloom from April to June depending on how far north you are. Once their berries set, the plants lie dormant during the hot summer months. As for their flavor, although they’re a bit smaller than their commercially available counterparts, wild strawberries are generally considered to be more full bodied. North American Natives believed the small red fruit to have many traditional and therapeutic uses. We’re quite certain one of them was not as an additive to high grown Ceylon tea - but we can assure you that had they tried this sweet, full-bodied brew, they would have been hooked. We certainly were.

What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?

Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic ‘Ceylon’ tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This ‘dual peak period’ allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.

Secondly... we use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.

Thirdly, we specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat ‘soft ‘ and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.