Artisanal bud teas make an appearance in the Capital’s cuppa

With fruity notes and flowery aromas, the teas are beginning to get dramatic. When you sit down for a pan-Asian fare paired with a cup of hot tea at Thai High in Mehrauli, expect a visual treat — flowers will blossom in your teacup and infuse the water with a pale amber hue and a delicate floral note.

“I came across bud teas while dining in London ,” says Payal Jauhar, owner of Thai High, “It was impressive, with the buds opening when hot water was poured over them. But buying them was an expensive proposition as Harrods was selling 12 pieces for 19 pounds .” Jauhar found an economically saner version in China where flowering teas are handmade.

You can expect a ceremonious tea at several diners in the city — at The China Kitchen at the Hyatt, for instance, you can have The Six Treasure Tea where dried flowers will open in the steaming beverage. But what makes bud teas special is that they are hand-sewn. Damp tea leaves are flattened and sewn with cotton thread into different shapes and bundles. Sewing the shape can take a minute or 10, depending on the design, and then the bundles will undergo the usual drying and oxidation process before the final packing. Most of them are made by artisans in the southwestern district of Yunnan in China. “When you pour water heated at 120 degree Celsius, these buds will open. You have to be very careful with the temperature,” says Jauhar.

... contd.