Christmas -

Winter Warming Teas In The Countdown To Christmas

9th December 20208th January 2021

As we head towards Christmas Day there are so many magical moments and memories to be made along the way; from opening our advent calendars with a daily treat, buying or making special gifts for our family and friends, wrapping Christmas presents and writing greetings cards for those we won’t be able to see over the festive season. December is a busy month, full of joy and wonder!

So how can we counter balance all the excitement and often over-indulgence? A clever trick is to change up and rotate the teas you have in stock and pair them with your festivities and activities, keeping you warm, inspired and hydrated over the colder days and darker nights.

We have rounded up some of our favourite winter teas for you to try over this wonderful festive month, plus added in some lovely tea suggestions for delightful gifts for loved ones.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…

Wrapping up Christmas presents or cosying up in front of a fire with a cup of steaming tea and warm throw, is a lovely way to relax and unwind for a couple of hours. With a Christmas movie on or some relaxing Christmas music, we couldn’t think of a better way to spend a few hours, especially in the dark evenings! We recommend choosing an aromatic and warming spiced fusion black tea to get you in the mood and to tantalise your taste buds. Two of our favourites are Cinnamon Tea and Vanilla Tea, both are distinctive in flavour and make a change from your usual brew.

Cinnamon tea is a great winter warmer with an unmistakable spicy aroma – it has a delicate caramel sweetness and a long cinnamon finish. It’s great drunk on its own but also marries well with some warm raisin scones or a slice of toasted brioche.

Alternatively, you could try some Vanilla tea to stimulate your senses, there is a lovely depth to this brew and it has a heady aroma of sumptuous vanilla beans with sweet harmonious notes. Perfect with a slice of sponge cake!

Add some zing to your day!

Zesty clementines, spiced orange peel, wedges of orange in mulled wine and sticky orange marmalade glazed gammon are synonymous Christmas flavours and a good punch of vitamin C is just what you need in the winter. To refresh your palate and bring some sunshine into a cold day, we suggest an Orange Fusion tea, such as Sweet Orange or Orange Fruit Tea.

Sweet Orange is a luscious and alluring fusion black tea with the citrusy aroma of oranges and undertones of mellow and sweet vanilla. Delicious drunk alone as a refreshing cuppa, but it also goes well with frangipane cake or a warmed mince pie.

Orange Fruit Tea is one of our favourite fruit infusions, packed with health boosting ingredients, such as orange pieces, rose hips, apple pieces and lemon peel. It’s a bright and brisk fruity tea with explosion of awakening flavours and a slightly tart finish on the palate. When brewed the infusion is a beautiful pinky, orange colour with a wonderful orange scent – a fantastic pick me up for any time of day!

At the end of the day…

It’s not just Christmas Day that we let our guard down a bit more than normal on what we choose to eat and drink, why not – it is the perfect time to indulge in festive treats such as mince pies, pigs in blankets, mulled wine etc. However, it is also a great time for counter-balance and to look after our digestive system – we have designed Happy Tummy Tea with this in mind, a wonderful probiotic wellness infusion to settle the stomach and reduce bloating. A cup in the evening is a great way to ease the digestive process and contains wonderful elements such as star anise, orange peel, liquorice, rose hips and refreshing spearmint.

Tis the season to be jolly

Most importantly enjoy this special time of year, 2020 has certainly been an unprecedented year of turmoil and troubled times for all. We are sure that everyone will enjoy Christmas a little differently this year due to the restrictions and changes in our lives, but at the heart of the festivities are a time for connection and reflection. Spending time with our loved ones as we can and sharing memories and gifts will make it extra special.

Giving is always better than receiving and with this in mind we have created some discounted bundles of teas and gift sets that we hope will inspire your Christmas shopping. Plus a special promotion on all the teas mentioned in this blog. Happy shopping!

Are You Searching For An Unforgettable Gastronomic Christmas Experience This Year?

2nd December 20202nd December 2020

We have a few suggestions that may surprise you!! Let’s check our latest tea blog written by Camellia’s Co-Founder Lubna Madan.

This is my favourite time of the year as Thanksgiving is around the corner and Christmas fast approaching; it makes me wonder how can I make this festivity extra special whilst living through covid-19 restrictions? For those who know me, understand that nothing excites me more than drinking tea all day paired with lots of delicious food!!! What gives me even more pleasure, is to share tea and food pairing tips with delicious tea cocktail recipes to give your Christmas that extra special factor!!

Welcoming your guests – Cheese and Tea Pairing

A lovely way to start the celebration is to delight your guests with an attractive display of cheeses accompanied by delicious hot tea to bring out the wonderful complexity of flavours. I personally love aged Gouda and find that it pairs well with Pu-erh tea. When I combine the two, my taste buds are filled with earthy, sweet and pungent notes. Pu-erh is an aged tea with very little astringency offering a rich and deep body. Generally, pu-erh’s leathery, earthy notes complement creamy cheeses.

Tea and Alcohol – Pu-erh Tea Cocktail

If you prefer an alcoholic variation, then I suggest a concoction straight from our recipe book, combining gin and Pu-erh tea. I like to make a large quantity of the gin and tea infusion to have over the festive period and for that, you need to steep 10grms of Pu-erh tea leaves with 500ml Gin. Let the mixture sit for 2 hours and then strain. If you prefer a stronger flavour, then infuse it for longer or even over-night.

Ingredients:

50ml Gin infused Pu-erh tea
25 ml Triple sec
25ml Lemon juice
25ml Blackberry liquor
10g Pu erh tea leaves

Simply pour all the ingredients into a shaker, add ice, shake and double strain into a tumbler glass with ice. And there you go, a delicious tea cocktail to impress your guests!!

The Lunch

Throwing a Christmas lunch is about creating meaningful memories and not to mention, having fun and laughter with your dearest ones. Small touches make a big impact, such as a colour theme or a floral display for the table. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, I start planning in advance, but one thing that never changes is my favourite roast turkey recipe accompanied with a beautiful blooming jasmine flowering tea ball served in a large wine glass to create an extra beautiful experience. I find that the delicate flavours of jasmine balance the herby chicken wonderfully. I always gift a tea ball to all my guests so that they can take away the experience and try it in their own homes.

Tea and Alcohol – Berry Bellini

For an alcoholic option, I like to serve a flute of prosecco or champagne with a small pinch of Very Berry tea to bring out subtle sweet and tart notes to the glass. Simply, add a pinch of tea to the glass and slowly top with your choice of bubbly. As it sits on the table, observe how it changes colour to pink and eventually red.

The Dessert

I love a traditional Christmas and can’t do without a Christmas pudding and mini mince pies to finish off the hearty feast. A Christmas pudding is very similar to a fruitcake. The flavours and texture are deep, dark and dense and is served with a rich and creamy sauce. Far East Tea or Christmas Tea is bursting with festive flavours of cinnamon, orange and vanilla. A Christmas pudding, or mince pies with a cup of Far East Tea or Christmas Tea, is simply one of the best gastronomic pleasures I have ever had and to continue this heavenly experience, I repeat the process with leftovers over the next coming days!

To Finish – Probiotic in a Cup

Before your guests leave, I like to brew up a cup of probiotic, Happy Tummy tea to help with digestion, bloating and that overall stuffed feeling. Believe me you will be loved for it!! Happy Tummy Tea has been designed with star anise, orange peel, liquorice, rose hips and refreshing spearmint; nothing helps me more than this wonderful infusion to settle down the digestive system.

I would love to hear from you with your favorite tea and food pairings for the holiday season. Let me know in the comments down below.

Christmas Tea with Friends – How to Create Your Own Christmas Blend

19th December 201631st March 2021

When planning a Christmas Tea Party what could be more amazing then creating your own tea blend to share with friends and family. The festive season brings inspiration and important key flavours of cloves, oranges and cinnamon to a cup of warming spicy tea. We have listed some of our teas which mix well with seasonal spices. We recommend the following:

English Breakfast: This is a blend of black teas from Sri Lanka and India and offers a robust body with elegant tannins. It is delightfully aromatic with a scattering of pepper and flowery notes.

Ceylon Kenilworth: This is our orange pekoe tea which offers subtle perfumed notes with a hint of wood and honey.

Earl Grey: This is a lovely balance between refreshing bright keemun tea and citrus notes from the oil of bergamot. As the orange notes are characteristically present, the addition of spice makes this an excellent choice for a Christmas Tea.

Rooibos Tea: For a caffeine free option we suggest our Rooibos tea which is well rounded and medium bodied with a refreshing sweetness and undertones of nuttiness.

Before blending the tea you will need prepare the orange zest (if you are using Earl Grey as your base tea then omit oranges from this recipe). Peel thick strips of orange zest from 1 or 2 oranges (you can always use the left over zest to make more tea and store it in advance). Then tear the orange zest into smaller pieces. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 100C until dry. Allow it to cool.

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons of your choice of tea
1 teaspoon of Orange zest
0.5 teaspoons Pink or black peppercorn
5 Cloves (you can use less or more depending on desired flavour)
1 Cinnamon quill broken into smaller pieces
Half Star anise flower broken into smaller pieces (you can use less or more depending on desired flavour)
¼ Vanilla pod, halved lengthwise and finely sliced

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Boil fresh water and in the meantime fill your tea pot with hot tap water to warm it up. Add 2-3 teaspoons (usually 1 teaspoon per person) of the newly blended tea into a tea pot infuser or paper infuser and brew for 5-7 minutes depending how strong you like your tea. You can enjoy this with a dash of milk if needed.

You can also make this in bulk by going up on your ingredients but make sure to store this in an air tight container.

We hope you enjoy this tea recipe. Happy Blending!!

Keep an eye out for our next blog where we tell you how to make your very own Christmas Tea Cocktail!

Christmas Tea with Friends – Christmas Tea Party

16th December 201631st March 2021

Invite Your Friends To A Christmas Tea Party

The holiday season is fast approaching and it’s easy to get lost in all the noise of Christmas preparations; cooking, cleaning, wrapping, decorating and so on. The most important aspect is time spent with your family and friends. We have come up with a solution which will be fun and take away all the stress of buying gifts, wrapping and delivering them. Planning a tea party at home would be the perfect Christmas treat for all your close friends. Instead of buying them a gift, invite them to join you for delicious food, great conversation in a warm and relaxing environment.

How to plan a tea party

You may think that there is not enough time to plan a party, but if you take a moment and think how long it would take shopping for gifts and wrapping them; you would have planned and executed a fun tea party in that same time.

Firstly start with the invitation. Paperless e-invites are hassle free and really easy. If you prefer adding a personal touch then a simple blank card with a note can be sent to all your friends.

Take out and check your tea set, table cloth and napkins. Give them a clean and iron ready for the big day. You also might want to think about your serving dishes (if you don’t have a 3-tier stand then you can use glass or porcelain serving dishes instead).

You can keep the menu simple but you should include both savoury and sweet dishes. A typical Afternoon Tea would include finger sandwiches, bite size nibbles, mini mince pies, cake and warm scones. Sandwiches are easy to prepare and all you have to remember is to trim off the crusts. You can use both brown and white bread with 3 different types of fillings. Turkey with Cranberry sauce, Mature Cheddar with Chutney, Egg and Cress or Cucumber and Mint are usually typical. If you are feeling creative then you can bake your own cake and scones but if not then they are easy to buy from a good bakery. Make sure you have plenty of clotted cream and strawberry preserve to accompany your scones. A side plate of biscuits always goes down well.

With the menu decided, all you need to think about is your tea selection. It’s always nice to serve a festive tea for the season, so we recommend our Christmas Tea which is a blend of black teas with festive spice that marries well with the tea food. You can also offer a traditional English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green Tea or a Herbal/Fruit tea. A choice of 3-4 teas would really impress your guests. Keep ready a pot of fresh milk and a side plate lemon wedges to accompany your tea. Honey or sugar for those with a sweet tooth. It’s always better to use a ceramic or glass tea pot rather than a metal one as it retains heat better. Always fill your kettle with fresh cold water and whilst your kettle is boiling fill your tea pot with hot tap water to allow it to heat up prior to adding your boiling water and tea leaves.

Once you are happy with the food and tea menu, it’s time to take care of the table. Cover your table with the clean and ironed table cloth and dress the centre of the table with fresh flowers. Play some soft music in the back ground but make sure your guests can hear themselves speaking.

Christmas Tea with Friends – The Tea Guide

12th December 201631st March 2021

Even though we may not have our new London Tea Rooms to share with you this Christmas, we will be delighted to bring Christmas to your home to enjoy with your friends and family. As you may well be aware there are tons of Christmas teas out there and you may be struggling with which one you should choose from. So, with the Christmas season around the corner, we have put together a brief listing of a variety of seasonal teas to help cut out some of the guesswork!

We also hope to inspire you to plan your own Christmas Tea Party at home and will be happy to help you plan a perfect tea party (please keep an eye out for our next blog).

So here goes…our Christmas Tea Guide!

Christmas Tea – This is our favourite festive tea which is a blend of China and Sri Lanka black tea. It offers a smooth and full-flavoured with exotic notes of vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and a hint of orange. Reminiscent of all things Christmas and mince pies!!

Cinnamon Tea – A perfect seasonal warmer, a blend of China black tea with opulent and dominant Cinnamon, a spicy and delicate caramel sweetness with a long cinnamon finish.

Sweet Orange – This is an exotic combination of brisk Ceylon and Chinese teas, playfully accented with zesty oranges to create a fragrant and full-bodied infusion.

Vanilla Tea – A deep blend of brisk black tea with Madagascar vanilla makes this a robust and exquisite classic combination.

Orange Tea – This is a delicious and refreshing fruit tea which contains a variety of wonderful ingredients such as rose hips, apple pieces, lemon peel and orange peel. Its bright and brisk with an explosion of awakening flavours. A tart finish on the palate with a mouthful of oranges.

Camellia’s Christmas Tea and Pumpkin Chai Cookies

26th December 201531st March 2021

This is our favourite tea to get you into the festive spirit and available all year round. Its a delcious blend of bright Ceylon-China black tea with subtle hints of smoke enriched artistically with crushed cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and orange pieces. It is highly aromatic with a rich explosion yet perfectly balanced flavours of spice, delicately sweetened with exotic vanilla and harmoniously interlaced with citrus notes of orange.

Camellia’s Christmas Tea makes a perfect festive combination with warm mince pies and home-made Pumpkin Chai Cookies.

Pumpkin Chai Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon Camellia’s loose leaf chai tea (grinded into powder)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1.5 cups dark chocolate chips

Directions:

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, tea, oats and baking soda. Stir this into the creamed mixture alternatively with pumpkin. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonful into greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F/Gas Mark 4 for 12-13 minutes or until browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes approximately 48 servings

We hope you enjoy this little festive treat!!

Whiskey & Lapsang Souchong Fruit Cake With A Festive Vanilla Tea

17th December 201530th June 2025

This will be well worth the effort! The recipe makes a delicious moist, fruity cake with complimentary flavours of whisky intertwined with smoky Lapsang Souchong tea. The gastronomical experience is further enhanced with smooth velvet and sweet notes of Camellia’s Vanilla tea.

Ingredients

200ml hot, strong Camellia’s Lapsang Souchong tea (2 tsp brewed for 5-10 minutes depending on the prefered strength. I brewed it for 10 minutes)
3 tbsp whisky
3 tbsp marmalade
700g mixed dried fruit
*100g mixed peel
100g glace cherries
225g golden caster sugar
4 eggs
225g plain flour
225g butter
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For cake drizzle:

2 tsp caster sugar
50ml hot Camellia’s Lapsang Souchong tea
1 tbsp whisky

Method

Mix the hot tea, whisky and marmalade in a large bowl until the marmalade melts. Stir in all of the dried fruit, peel and cherries, then cover and leave to soak overnight or longer.

Next day, heat oven to 160c/gas 3 and grease and double-line a 20cm round, deep cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Using an electric whisk, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition, then fold in the flour and spices, followed by the lemon zest and soaked fruit. Add any liquid that hasn’t been absorbed by the fruit, too. Spoon into the prepared tin, level the top, then bake for 1.5 hours. Turn the oven down to 140c/gas 1 and bake for another 1.5 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack in the tin.

While the cake is still warm, use the skewer to poke holes. Dissolve the sugar in the hot tea, add the whisky, then spoon over the surface. If you are making the cake ahead of time, feed it with a fresh swig of drizzle every week, but take care not to make the cake soggy. Can be kep for a month well-wrapped in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. If short on time, the cake can be made the same day of serving.

* If you have difficulties in finding fruit peel then you can make your own. I used peel of 1 grapefruit, 1 orange and 1 lemon. Chop the peel into small cubes. Bring water to boil, then add the peel. Let it cook for approximately 1 hour. Rinse under cold water. For the glaze you will need 2 cups of water and 2 cups of granulated sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved add the peel and cook for half hour. Let it cool before adding it to the cake recipe.

How to brew Camellia’s Vanilla Tea:

For a 2 person’s tea pot, add 3 teaspoons of loose leaf tea and pour boiling hot water. Brew 3-4 minutes. You can enjoy this black or with milk.