Exotic Selection (Twinings)

Member Name: josollsam

Product:	Twinings
Date:	25/05/02 (648 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smell delicious

Disadvantages: Slightly expensive

Parts of this op have now been re-written as I am getting Usefuls only. I personally find overly long ops a bit boring but that appears to be what is wanted so...

I have always been a 'normal' tea drinker, preferring round, drawstring type tea bags. I have been known to occasionally have a cup of coffee and to also down a cup of hot chocolate once in a while.

I have always admired from afar people who drink fruit and herbal teas; they do smell wonderful! However, on having a sip they seem so tasteless and of no consequence.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TWININGS

Twinings teas have been around since 1706, set up by a man named Thomas Twinings. He learned about tea products from an East Indian Company and opened up a tea house in London. During this time, coffee houses were very popular and competition was rife. Thomas Twinings knowledge of teas, and the fact that he marketed his product well, set his house apart and his teas became sought after by many.

It was only the upper classes that could afford tea, though, in those days, as taxes, import costs and production was expensive. The cost of 100gms of tea in 1706 was about £150.

Another obstacle that Thomas originally had to face was that in those days women were not to be seen in coffee houses. They were considered masculine places and only women of ‘ill-repute’ were found frequenting them.

However, tea became popular with ladies of high class, in particular Twinings teas, as Thomas’s reputation for importing only the finest became well known. Ladies would serve tea, bought dry as opposed to wet – ready infused in the coffee house, at their own homes.

To cut a very long history short, Twinings thrived as a family business, with Queen Victoria giving it the royal stamp of approval in 1837.

There is still a member of the Twinings family within the business although Twinings in now owned by Associated British Foods.


THE PRODUCTS

There is a huge product range placed within 6 main categories:
Speciality teas: the classics i.e. Lapsang Souchong, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Darjeeling etc. There are around 15 of these.
Decaffeinated: just English Breakfast and Traditional English are within this category.
Green teas: Jasmine green tea and Gunpowder green to name a couple.
Iced teas: most come with a hint of lemon or lime and are ready made, I believe.
Organic: a few of their classics and some fruit teas, produced in an organic fashion and have been certified as being organic by The Soil Association of Britain or equivalents in other countries
Herbal and Fruit infusions: There are plenty of varieties, from simple Peppermints to different blend mixes such as Cranberry, Raspberry and Elderberry through to the exotic and unusual teas as Mandarin and Lychee.

TEA AND ME

I have no idea what made me pick up a packet of Twinings Exotic Selection of fruit infusions around 5 months ago as I don't like exotic fruits to eat. My partner loves Mango, I won't eat it. He adores Guava juice and I can't stand it. Lychee doesn't do it for me at all. I am an Apple and Oranges kinda girl...But! These teas just do it completely!…So what made me choose such an unusual item? Was it the bright orange packet? Was it an act of God who felt that my tea drinking needed some new guidance?

I don't know, but I am glad that whatever it was made me!

Exotic selections come in a pack of 20, 5 teabags of 4 different flavours. Each one individually placed in a little packet of its own.

Pear and Guava; Mandarin and Lychee; Pink Grapefruit, Mandarin and Lime; Orange, Mango and Cinnamon. My favourite being this last one, but all nice in their own ways.

The best way to drink them is if I leave the teabag in the mug during the drinking time, let the tea brew for a fairly long time or at least stir vig
orously, and include one teaspoon of sugar, mmm, perfect.

Since I have been drinking these fruit teas a) I don't feel I am being evil to my body if I drink more than 4 cups (the guilt of regular tea created enough stress for me to have to have another cup of tea just to relax!) and b) makes me feel slightly superior to those who continue to drink regular tea. What, no will power? If only they knew!

So, there you have it. If you love tea but feel that you are not doing your body any favours by drinking it, try exotic selection from Twinings. You will like them, alot! and at 85P for 20, they are not as expensive as they once were.

Now, although I am a total convert to their exotic fruit teas, I am not overly keen on their herbal ones, but that is simply a matter of personal taste. We each have to find out what is to our cup of tea.

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