Treat Yourself To An Interesting Tea Journey @ Tea Trails

Tea trails.. has arrived in Bangalore with a bang and how!

Tea and food pairing is still an evolving concept in India and there is always something new to every experience. The whole purpose of pairing tea with certain foods is to enhance the taste of the tea and balancing it with the taste of the food. When it comes to food or beverages for me it always comes down to my personal choice.

This café is the brainchild of a group of entrepreneurs who have combined their experiences to offer us customers not only the chance to experience Teas from around the world but also the concept of tea-food pairing and tea infused food.

It was a long day at work and I was at my wits end when I finally managed to make it to this café.
I was invited to be a part of their little tea tasting along with a group of fellow foodies.

The Cafe is quite bright and has a cheerful look in both the open area at the entrance as well as the air conditioned inner area.

We started with a little introduction into Tea Trails and their journey till date. This was followed by the serving of various teas along with the food pairing on which goes best with each tea.

Silver Needle tea – This was the first tea I got to taste and it had a very mild and unassuming flavour. I am given to understand that this is a very expensive variety of tea. It was paired with Bun Maska which beautifully complemented the flavour of the tea.

Kashmiri Kahwa – This is a Green tea served in a cup with bits of almond. Unlike normally brewed green teas there was no bitterness and that is because it was steeped and brewed at the correct temperature and for a certain amount of time. It was paired with a Burmese tea salad which was a mild flavoured salad with lettuce and nuts which also had bits of tea infused in it.

Matcha Shake – I have heard of Matcha tea and the fact that it’s the whole tea leaves used are extremely rich in antioxidants. This was another interesting twist to tea providing a different taste. It was thick, creamy and heavy but the food paired with it – Garlic bread was perfect.This may not be to everyone’s taste but definitely a stand out.

Olive and Green Tea Bruschetta – Again a normal looking bruschetta but the tea infused in the dish gave it a completely different taste with a feeling of wanting more.

Marble tea salad – A very interesting looking salad containing whole eggs boiled in tea infused water. The eggs definitely had an interesting taste but this was a one good looking salad.

Lapsang Souchong – This is black tea from China with a wonderful smoky smell and a equally refreshing and soothing smoky aftertaste. Finally a tea which tastes exactly like how it smelled. It was paired with Smoked Chicken sandwich and Smoked Paneer sandwich. Personally loved the chicken version better. There are some teas which gives you a kick-start and some which need to be drunk during the course of the day and this seems like one of them.

Lychee Bubble tea – The iced tea was served in a long glass and almost gave the look of one of the brewery beers. The tea itself was fruity and tasty but the fruit bubbles were the winner. These bubbles just burst in your mouth making one squeal like a kid! The tea gives your taste buds a tingle and then all your senses just realize one by one the ingredients used in the tea. It is amazing how one can try out new things and this iced version is just superb.

Kullad Chai – Finally good old spiced chai served in an earthen cup for a desi look! It was served with onion pakodas made well with less oil.

3 Cheese Rissoto – A simple and well plated Rissoto made with 3 cheeses as the name suggests served with green tea butter. The quantity is quite deceptive as a few spoons can make you full due to the 3 different cheeses used in it. One of the best prepared and plated dishes of the evening served with Oolong tea.

Better Wife – This drink brought a smile to my lips for its quirky name. This is a blend of fruit juices, herbs and green tea which gives your taste buds a feeling of really not knowing what you are tasting. Maybe that’s the reason for this name! Very interesting and enjoyable drink.

I did get a chance to taste their Tea pancakes which was very good and also Egg Kejriwal which had all the right flavours, but a bit too spicy for me.

Since I am just starting to discover the world of teas and food pairing, it can be a bit overwhelming with the little time and various options provided.

As I entered this little outlet I wondered about their tagline “ It all begins here” and now I know what it means. This bistro though very unassuming from the outside has opened my eyes to a world of wonderful, delicious and refreshing teas.

Part of the fun about food and drinks is not the destination but the journey.
Needless to say, my Tea journey has just begun..