Tea-mania!!!

How many times have you heard someone say, "let's catch up over coffee", "let me buy you coffee to make up for ...." , "how about a cup of coffee for you sir", etc... and the list goes on. Seldom do we utter these expressions using the word "tea" .

Tea will always remain my favourite beverage due to many reasons. For one, caffeine free versions in herbal or fruit blends outnumber the decaffeinated cousin of the humble coffee bean. Furthermore tea doesn't leave my stomach churning,heart palpitating and my head spinning. Caffeine has long been known to be a stimulant and to think that some of my friends and colleagues can polish off 3-4 cups a day.

I have even started to collect tea tabs for fun, just like you would stamps. Seriously I should get myself a stamp collectors book and fill it up with all the various tea tabs that I have amassed to date.

During my trip to the UK many years back, the cold weather made a hot cup of tea very enticing. The very idea of lounging around in the living room amongst cushy sofas, the fireplace, sweet treats like chocolate cake/scones/cookies and lazy cats make for a very enjoyable way to fritter away the lazy afternoon.

Tokyo and Seoul are filled with cafes of every size and color. Just in Insadong, every other shop is either a traditional tea cafe or an upmarket one serving teas to boggle your mind and tastebuds. Tokyo has no lack of cafes either. I am guilty of enjoying tea in typical British fashion at Jiyugaoka's "St Christopher's Tea Garden" and luxuriating in a pre-dinner snack over matcha @ . Resting my feet over earl grey and the fluffiest of chiffon cakes @ CAFE GRES in front of Shimbashi Station. The cold weather and all that walking around makes cafes the most inviting rest stops for the weary traveller. It's also the perfect excuse to indulge in some of the best cakes/cookies for a midday snack to put the spring back into your step.

Recent years have seen a proliferation of lifestyle TEA brands setting up cafes, staking out shelf territory at supermarkets and duty free stores. The brands listed here are not exhaustive, so do pardon my limited range of names covered here.

Local brand GRYPHON ( http://www.gryphontea.com/ ) offers gourmet teas with lovely boxed packaging and tea leaves packed into silk satchets. Featuring the artwork of local artists in its latest range, it is generating constant interest by keeping fickle minded consumers like me on their toes everyday.

Luxury TWG ( http://www.twgtea.com/ ) pushes the envelope with exotic blends and strong marketing with their signature yellow and deep brown tea canisters and premium cafe decor. Their signature tea canisters now sit proudly inside the windows of the RAFFLES HOTEL cafe, ousting Ronnefeldt from their long reign as the tea of choice served here. Oddly they somewhat remind of a the LOUIS VUITTON label which evokes the same kind of prestige that its trying to present to its elite and high flying clientele. With one of its founders formerly heading the quintessentially french tea label MARIAGE FRERES, TWG has just opened a luxury boutique in Jiyugaoka, one of the hippest Tokyo neighbourhoods right now. Personally MARIAGE FRERES ( http://www.mariagefreres.com/ ) comes across as too overbearing for my tastes.

Karel Capek formerly marketed only in Japan ( http://www.karelcapek.co.jp/ ) also peddles its tea and wares via uber cute illustrations with seasonal updates to keep their appeal fresh and exciting. It has been spotted at recent food fairs in Takashimaya Basement Food Hall and their pastel canisters from last season were quite a hit with the shoppers.

Coming close is french purveyor HEDIARD ( http://www.hediard.com.sg/counters/the-tea-counter.html ) which also carries a good range of tea also but somehow enjoys less presence than its delicious jams, fruit jellies and savoury soups.

LIPTON sadly has been reduced to household/antry/coffeeshop status in the past decade. Even the Japanese versions fail to turn any heads with their new flavours. Whereas FAUCHON ( http://www.fauchon.com/ ) who used to have a flagship store at Isetan Scotts, now has to make do with a tiny counter at Takashimaya Basement Food Hall .

Ronnefeldt ( http://www.ronnefeldttea.ca/personal/aboutus.php ) teas served up at the Ritz Carlton and Marina Mandarin offer simple, frills free teabags differentiated only by distinctly bright hues and all text in black with a hint of gold somewhere. The teas actually taste quite good, but unfortunately they are not available in your supermarkets.

TAZO (served up in STARBUCKS outlets) tries to differentiate itself with New Age packaging. But the muted colors and generic tea boxes stand no chance if you were to place the CLIPPER or KAREL CAPEK range alongisde.

Last but not least, one of my current hot favourite is CLIPPER (not to be confused with 1872 Clipper Tea Co Ltd). Giving other supermarket brands a run for their money with whimsical illustrations and jumping on the FAIRTRADE bandwagon like STARBUCKS with their coffees. Their packaging is done by reputable design firm - BIG FISH http://www.bigfish.co.uk/index.php who is also responsible DORSET's line of wholesome breakfast cereals). If you buy up the whole range of CLIPPER TEAS and line them up sideways, you will see the rainbow of colors which would make the boxes a great statement in your kitchen long after the tea bags are gone. It would look fabulous on my bookshelves as a testament to the different tastes captured in each and every wonderful boz of teabags.

I recall coming across a book at PAGE ONE bookstore in Vivocity that featured upcoming trends in food packaging (the title eludes me for now, but i shall find the book and put it up in my next post). I can see why this trend is striking a chord with the stressed out consumers of today, bludgeoned with impersonal bold logos with no hint of any human touch. Illustrations reminds us of our numerous doodles in our childhood days, it brings out the naivete in you and creates an instant rapport with the child in you. Couple that with copywriting that tugs at your heartstrings and basically half the battle is won already.

Tableware for enjoying a cuppa also employs similar tactics with ever more attractive colors/prints/logos emblazoned on the teacups/teaspoons/tea canisters/tea towels,etc... Look at the popularity of UK labels like CATH KIDSTON, EMMA BRIDGEWATER, WEDGEWOOD, AFTERNOON TEA(japan). Look out for more of these in TATTYMARSH which has just opened an outlet in Singapore to bring a slice of the Union Jack to our tiny island.

While the labels fight it out in the world of tea, I shall retreat into the anonymous comfort of more real fruit teas served up at MARCHE MOVENPICK or TEA BONE ZEN MIND. Meanwhile, I am gonna indulge in some eye candy on the latest mascots that CLIPPER & KAREL CAPEK websites have to offer. You never know what will inspire you or lift your spirits today! Anyone up for a cuppa tea ?

Tea-ficionado in the making