One of the tragedies about being me is that I usually make the strangest courses... One of the most recent is the Tea Sommelier.
So, what does a Tea Sommelier do?
Well, first of all, we study different kinds of tea around the world, we taste a lot of them and we know how to properly host a Tea Party! Another perk of being a Tea Sommelier is to be able to use your skills to make a blend in which you can assemble all tastes a person likes to combine into a unique flavour and make it a homage!
(I think I'll make a special post about Tea Sommelier around the world, but for now, I think this will suffice)
So, as I was saying, besides being a Sommelier, I also like to gift my friends with handmade/homemade stuff because I like them to know how very special they are to me 😀
I have this best friend, who's been my best friend my whole life... Actually, more years than we like to admit! I guess we have more years being friends than years the we didn't know each other! And his birthday was coming once more, I had just got my Tea Sommelier certificate, therefore I decided he would get a very unique present: a Tea Blend with his name!
Let's get to it?
First, I had to decide which kind of tea would please him the most, so I chose to make him a chai blend, as he loves chai latte from Starbucks! (For those who don't know, chai is originally from India and we can prepare it with half water/half milk or only milk, depending on your mood and liking!).
I chose a strong black tea base: with leaves from the Assam and Ceylon varieties:
Then, I had to add flavour. To do so I remembered things he likes, such as coconut and cinnamon. I got fresh coconut meat from a street fair, cut it and dehydrated it in the oven:
Added little pieces of cinnamon and star anise:
I even had a label tailored-made with all description and preparing indications, THÁSSIUS VELOSO - Chai Blend "The Blend of the Tazmanian Devil":
I put it in a basket with a lot of candies, wrote a bday card by hand and delivered it to him. Of course, I had to explain how to make the chai at home even if the directions were on the label... But that's just how our friendship goes 😆
The best part was when he actually prepared my/his blend and told me he found it delicious! There is no greater treasure than knowing someone liked what you did, specially, if it was made with care and love!
Would you like to know more about how to make tea or tea blends? Please, leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer it!
I hope to keep posting more of my crazy inventions here 😊