A Tale Of Two Teas – Fairytale Collection – Part 2
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Yesterday, I promised I would be back the rest of my reviews of A Tale of Two Teas’ Fairytale Collection. And I, Em the Tea Fancier, am a woman of my word. I’m not like one of those flibbertigibbet princesses who make all kinds of rash promises to frogs in order to get their balls back, only to then renege on the deal at a later stage. If my fairy godmother turned up and provided me with all the magically produced frocks and pumpkin carriages a girl could wish for with the one proviso that I be back by midnight, you can bet your boots that I’d keep a proper eye on the time.
So here we are. On with the reviews!
This one is a rum cove and no mistake. Enchanted Forest contains both white tea and rooibos, a combination I’ve not come across before and one which, on the face of it, I wouldn’t expect to like.
White tea is the quietest, most sensitive member of the tea family. How can such a delicate creature be expected to be heard if it’s sharing the stage with loud, unmissable rooibos?
Well, amazingly, this tea combination does work and it works beautifully. Apparently, the trick here is not to overdo the rooibos. This blend is predominantly a white tea. The rooibos – alongside apple pieces, blueberries, hibiscus, strawberries, rose petals, cornflowers & vanilla – just serves to accentuate the white tea’s natural Camellia sinensis attributes and provides a light flavourful tea with flower and fruity notes and a slightly malty taste.
Unlike the other teas in this collection, Enchanted Forest doesn’t appear to be attached to any particular fairytale. I have paired it with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for the photo because a forest (which may or may not have been enchanted) is pretty integral to the whole plot.
This is a beautiful raspberry and rose green tea which hits all the right flowery, fruity, green tea-y notes. The rose and raspberry flavours are substantial enough to make their presence known without overwhelming the beautiful light tea at its base.
Re-reading my 1973 version of The Princess and the Frog, I was struck by what a badly brought-up, self-pitying, whinging little baggage that particular princess was. I imagine if the frog didn’t have such a particularly pressing set of circumstances as a motivator, he wouldn’t have bothered pursuing her at all. No wonder Disney jettisoned the entirety of the original plot in favour of something altogether cooler and more badass in their 2009 film.
Also, while I appreciate that in the context of this tea, The Frog Prince is the name of the character rather than the book, I’m amazed by how many versions of this tale do actually go by the name of ‘The Frog Prince‘. That’s one hell of a spoiler, isn’t it? You’re not supposed to know the frog is actually a prince! That’s the big “Whoa!” surprise reveal at the end.
If you’re going to take that kind of cavalier attitude, you may as well rename Beauty and the Beast, ‘Beast Who Turns Into a Prince At The End’ or call Chicken Licken ‘Some Poultry Who Get Eaten By Foxes Due To Their Own Stupidity’.
Overall, I absolutely loved A Tale Of Two Teas’ Fairytale Collection. The concept is inspired, the packaging is charming and with the exception of Fair Maiden*, they are all teas that I would be happy to consume on a regular basis. A very happy ending indeed.
* And, let’s face it, with my fruity-tisane-hating ways, I’m hardly the target audience for that particular blend.
Today’s featured books are Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs and The Princess and The Frog from Ladybird’s Well Loved Tales series. These books were published in this particular format from 1964 to 1979, written by Vera Southgate and contained full page Pre-Raphaelite-esque painted illustrations from a variety of artists. Every one of those pictures was etched into my childhood brain. I won’t say that they are the definitive versions – there are older and generally nastier versions of all these stories – but these books hold a very special place in my heart.
