Introduction: A hand-crafted blend of full-bodied Organic Indian black tea from Nilgiri, natural bergamot essence and beautiful blue Malva flowers. Malva is a genus within the family Malvaceae, which also includes inter alia, Althaea, Abutilon, Gossypium, Hibiscus, Lavatera and Sidalcea, and is particularly close to Lavatera. There are about 15 species of Malva and are broadly found in the Mediterranean and temperate Europe, China and northern India. Malvas are annual, biennial or short-lived perennial herbs. The flowers are pink, purple or bluish.
Brewing Suggestions
For brewing black teas, we recommend using higher temperature water, close to or just before boiling (190 - 200 F), with a proportion of one teaspoon of leaf per 8oz of water. Some recommend water at a full, rolling boil, but in our opinion boiling reduces the oxygen content in good water and gives the tea a “flatter” taste as opposed to a more “lively” taste from slightly cooler water. Steeping time can vary depending on whether you wish to drink with milk (or non-dairy equivalent) or without. To drink without milk, 3 ½ to 4 ½ minutes is plenty of time to bring out a well balanced sweetness and astringency. With milk, a slightly longer time is required, 5 to 6 minutes, to acquire enough astringency to balance the milk.
