A new tea every month

After passing by the tea aisle in Tesco recently, a thought struck me: I've never really given any tea other than standard black tea a chance. I'm not being adventurous enough, and I can't really call myself a proper tea drinker unless I actuall try something other than Yorkshire Tea (which is delicious, mind).

So I had a quick look at the teas on display and discovered a wealth of different flavours and types just waiting to be drunk. It was at that point that I noticed the price, and my friend mentioned that they were a lot cheaper at The Natural Store, just up the hill.

So, off we went.

I decided to buy two different types there and then: Clipper Chamomile, and Twinings Lapsang Souchong. I picked up a box of Chamomile tea bags and a box of loose Lapsang, paid the man and left.

Later that evening I decided to try the Chamomile. Now, the smell of the teabag, I have to admit, was a little off-putting at first - it smelled like a cross between a campsite at night and a hamster cage. Nevertheless, I persevered and realised that, actually, the smell was quite pleasant. Since I didn't have my little teapot to hand, I chucked a teabag in a mug and let rip with the kettle.

After letting it brew for a while, I took a sip and realised that I may not have let it brew for long enough - it tasted a lot weaker than standard tea, and was a much lighter colour. That being said, it was a very pleasant cup of tea. Very relaxing, and despite the smell, it didn't taste like a campsite at all.

Later on that night, I dug my teapot and tea strainer out of the cupboard and gave the Lapsang Souchong a go. When I opened the packet I immediately got a strong whiff of smoke and peat. Reading the back of the box confirmed this - "[t]he unique Lapsang Souchong flavour is produced by laying the tea leaves on bamboo trays, and allowing smoke from pinewood to permeate through them." Unusual (to me, probably not to a tea connoisseur), but hey. I'll go with it.

Two spoons of tea in the pot, boiling water in, leave it to brew.

The taste is not unlike standard tea, but obviously with a smokier flavour. The peat smell doesn't come through in the taste at all. In my humble opinion, although the box says this tea can be enjoyed with a dash of milk, it tastes a lot better without it. Probably true of most teas, I would imagine.

These two teas are only the first step in my new quest: to try a new tea every month. I have a short list drawn up...

• Earl Grey
• Lady Grey
• Assam
• Darjeeling
• Chai
• Oolong
• Ceylon Black
• Fennel and xxx (there seem to be many different variations on fennel tea)
  
• Rooibos

There are obviously loads more than that to try, but this list should do me for now.

Time for more Lapsang I think!