Looking for a new mug

I am looking for a new mug. Here are my favorites so far. 

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New teas in

This month I travelled to India and decided to treat myself with (what else than) several Indian teas.

Some of them were bought in the marketplace: Assam, White and Green. They are packed in foil bags. Unfortunately, the sellers were not able to explain much about these teas. I have tasted only the white tea, which did not disappoint. The leaves are nicely curled and unbroken. I need to play with the amount of tea per cup of water to reach the optimal taste. The tea I made last evening was a bit too strong.

Some of the teas are supermarket finds and the special place among them is reserved for the organic Tulsi Chai Masala. I bought it even before learning about what tulsi is and after finding out I feel even better about the buy.

Tusli is a Hindi word that means Holy Basil. This is a sacred plant for Hindus with several beneficial properties attributed to it. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is known as the elixir of life as it is believed that it balances different processes in the body, increases the adaptability to stress and acts antiseptically.

I really liked the Tulsi Chai. It has the black tea as a base and it contains all the usual Chai spices, such as cardamom and cloves. The spices in combination with tulsi result in a strong, kind of a peppery taste that leaves me feeling energized. I drink it as it is, without adding milk or sugar.

I also tried the Organic Green Tea from the tin and loved it. It has a rich green tea flavor and the coloration is very light.

I also bought Indian Masala Chai and Darjeeling packed in two types of lovely wooden boxes. I suspect that in this case, the producer might have wanted to put the emphasis on the package, not the contents, but I won't be able to tell more before trying the teas.

Exhibit your curiosity

Found here.

Tea supplies

This is Martha Stewart's drawer for tea supplies. Very nice!

Found here.

Photographer illustration

Found here.

Tea lights on the tea shelf

Tea exchange I

I joined a great tea exchange initiative and yesterday I received the first package. I'm very excited about the contents. 

Starting from the top left corner, there are: 

• Desert tea (green tea and Damascus rose petals) from House of Tea, Belgrade
• Honeybush Tropical Night tea (honeybush, papaya, mango with kiwi, guava and rose flower flavours) from Smalltree, Belgrade 
• Lovers tea (black tea, apple, cinnamon and ginger) from House of Tea, Belgrade
• Green tea, Sir Winston Tea
• Wild strawberry, Welton and 
• Apple and cinnamon, Welton.

So far, I have only had a chance to taste the Lovers tea. I am not familiar with Welton and Sir Winston Teas, but House of Tea and Smalltree from Belgrade are traditionally good. 

I'm looking forward to tasting all these teas.