ABU DHABI Having a cup of tea is not as simple as it sounds, especially if you are at Leopold’s of London café at the Nation Galleria Mall in Abu Dhabi.
We are talking about a choice of over 275 flavours sourced from around the world, including the misty mountains of India and Sri Lanka, the tropical foliage of South America and the exotic estates of China or Japan.
The mind-boggling variety of teas labelled and stored in glass bottles in a floor-to-ceiling wooden display case include but is not limited to crème brulee, mango puree, aloe vera, coco honey, apricot, dates, white bamboo, fennel, jasmine and saffron.
Even if you fancy a brew with 22 carat gold or silver powder, you can have it at this unique tea library.
A tea doctor at the cafe helps you pick the right flavour and aroma to suit your taste.
Better with time
The tea sommelier, Bharat Singh, 27, from India will tell you all about teas.
For instance, if you wonder why Vintage Wild Pu-erh tea costs a whopping Dh5,100 a kilo, Singh will explain, “Pu-erh is like wine. These tea leaves are now 16 years old. They get better with time, and more expensive too.”
Singh, who has been working as a tea doctor for nearly two years, claims he can name each one of the 275 varieties by its smell and flavour.
“This is my passion. I have spent many months under an expert to learn about different kinds of tea, their origins and health benefits,” he told XPRESS.
Plucking out a jar of Chinese White Dragon Pearls, Singh explains the tea is 100 per cent organic and no pesticides were used while growing it. It costs Dh4,300 per kilo.
But the rating for the most aromatic tea goes to Milk Oolong from China, which is flavoured with buffalo milk and caramel cream.
For date lovers there is Date Black Tree from India which is infused with dates and pink and green figs.
According to Singh, tea is a life-long addiction and ardent tea lovers do not mind digging deep into their pockets to sip their favourite brew.
“It is not the pricetag people care about, but the flavours. And my job is to introduce them to the right flavours,” he said.
