Guest blog: tasted Kaldi's tea

A little less than 2 months ago, I started with the idea for my blog and began writing. That was the day I saw new tea at my work; from Kaldi. They also had loose leaf tea, and I liked the scents I smelled. Shortly after, I decided to mention Kaldi in a tweet, and they contacted me based on that tweet, offering to send me some loose teas to taste.

This was the first proper tea I was offered, and thanks to them, my tea journey really started rolling. I gained more inspiration and a kind of kick in the pants. A while ago, I finally received this "inspiration package." It contained 2 teas, a Pu-Erh and a tea called Black Magic. Together with my love, I brewed the tea on a rainy evening to taste it.

Pu-Erh is an earthy tea; it can consist of both green and black tea that is fermented over a longer period. This means the tea is exposed to certain beneficial bacteria over an extended period, giving it a very special taste. This tea also gets better with age, just like a good wine.

Initially, I had to get used to the earthy taste. It's completely different from the sweet teas I normally drink. After mentioning my tasting experience, I received a tip via Twitter from a fellow tea lover to drink the tea with a piece of dark chocolate. The next time I tasted the tea (with chocolate), I was momentarily in heaven. What a delight and what a bizarre, yet beautiful combination. It's a taste you don't see coming that knocks your socks off, but then grabs your heart and doesn't let go. The first time I drank the tea, I declared it would never be one of my favorites, but now I really have to retract that statement. Especially on these rainy, cold days, it's a tea to lose yourself in.

Nikki Looman writes about tea on www.leuketheetjes.nl