Colombo in a cup
He has served tea to the future King of England and Duchess of Cornwall, but those were merely ‘standard’ Teaeli blends like Marzipan Cherry, Strawberry Souffle and an Earl Grey with cornfl ower, bergamot and blood orange. The 23-year-old Sri Lankan founder, Dushyantha De Silva, says his secret weapon is his just-launched bespoke programme, The Blend Master.
After discussing by telephone or email your palate preferences, the dapper young entrepreneur will arrive at your Colombo hotel suite or beachfront villa along Sri Lanka’s palm-fringed southern coast with his completely natural, high- and low-grown Ceylon green and black teas as well as the premium white varieties of silver and golden-tipped. In Sri Lanka’s post-war era, this gourmet start-up is taking advantage of an emerging niche of tea tourism to caffeinated travellers curious to see where and how their sips originate. This is no standard sip and spit session. Teaeli’s one-on-one sessions are designed to ensure you leave this island paradise with a unique souvenir. An online customization option with international delivery is in the works as well.
“I suggest the client peruse our ingredients list which includes native herbs like pink peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon,” explains De Silva over a cuppa in Colombo. “Then I ask them to imagine the sensation of sipping hibiscus petals, bergamot, passion fruit and white chocolate.”
During the tea blending session, guests individually taste their ingredients of choice, be it lemongrass, cocoa chips and chamomile flowers or cranberry, star anise and fresh mint leaves, along with a selection of Teaeli’s natural teas including steam-dried Gunpowder Grade green from the Central Highlands and oven-fired black tea that appears a deep crimson hue as De Silva pours. Palate pleasing is only part of Teaeli’s bespoke service. A short message can be printed onto the back of your tea caddy.
Then, turn it over to find the name of your original tea variety emblazoned on this ultra-exclusive souvenir.
