Explore the Aroma of PositiviTEA With Karma Kettle's High Tea

Picture courtesy: Pallabi from allthingssassy

They uttered “ TEA” I heard ‘Positivity’. Most of us have inherited the love for Tea from either our parents or our grandparents. The most memorable and funny  ‘Tea’ related thing in our family is that me and my father inherited the love for tea from the same person .He is my Father’s uncle ,I used to call him ‘Nana’. Being a bong,that belongs to a generation that deserves gold medal for finding excuses to grab ‘Coffee’, I  have always been a ‘tea’ person- Tea Joints ,Tea Rooms ,Tea Boutiques have always been my favourite . In this city before tea became a health weapon tea was either about rich milky –sugary 'kadak' Assam Cha (TEA) or authentic Darjeeling Tea without sugar . I was barely a toddler when I used to wait eagerly, for my mother to leave the room after serving ‘Nana’ his tea .The moment my mother left ‘Nana’ used to dip the spoon and I used to tastes ,may be a few drops .Nana used to recite a few lines Tagore said about Tea.

My life as a blogger takes me to different destinations in the City Of Joy. I was there at Karma Kettle for a tea testing session a couple of days ago.

People in this city are mostly tea lovers, perhaps that’s the reason Kolkata

 was the first pick for Dhiraj Arora and Priti Arora to start the flagship store

 for their tea brand, Karma Kettle. If you are a Tea lover you must have heard

 about the brand Karma Kettle ,the brand that offers a collection of the most delightful tea variants.From the classic varieties of Darjeeling Tea, to unique blends like chamomile with jasmine or Oolong Tea with Orange Peels, to the Masala chai – it’s all here. Wherever their travels have taken them, they have discovered new flavours.

“A Place is Only As Good As the People In It “

The Tea lovers’ paradise is located inside The Ivy House at the Swinhoe Street, Ballygunge. Swinhoe Street used to be my weekend destination during childhood .My father being a disciple of Tagore music exponent Subhash Chowdhury guided my mother to the same destination and Saturday morning meant “Subhash Dadur Class” with my mother .This quaint store located inside The Ivy House reminded me of the beautiful sketches in Oxford Reading Circle English lessons . They have impressive seating arrangements which oozes charm and aesthetics in every corner. Tea is an integral part of our daily life. A tea room with such a perfect set up and ambience is like paradise for tea lovers indeed.

The wooden doors , windows and the logo caught my attention and I realised simplicity is the beauty our soul craves for .I found myself in love with the set up that this place exhibits in wooden,and glass structures around in an outdoor kind of seating arrangement. The whole area was blossomed with greenery and freshness.The touch of vintage bathed oxidental beauty in decore is Karma Kettle Tea Room's forte.Their team deserves salute for amazing hospitality.

These luminous lights with tagore quotes caught my attention .This is what my Nana used to recite:

“Come oh come ye tea-thirsty restless ones -- the kettle boils, bubbles and sings, musically.”

― Rabindranath Tagore

The decore reminds me of vintage styled hotels that maintains authentic english style in tea garden areas of Darjeeling and Shillong hills wooded decore . There’s a store inside that beautifully showcases their tea collection. Being a Tagorean I could’nt help telling my fellow bloggers “trust me if they remake Shesher Kobita ,this could be Amit met Labonyo place”

The place ,decore, location and everthing about the place is perfect and matches the ambience required for authentic dainty English High-Tea session.

Karma Kettle serves various kind of tea from the classic varieties of Darjeeling Tea, to unique blends like chamomile with jasmine or Oolong Tea with Orange Peels, to the Masala chai . This winter Karma Kettle can be the best place for you, My gang consists of coffee lovers mostly, but my family is a total tea lover one .Therefore, if not friends I am going to visit this place with my family.

Tea Tasting Session :

Trust me,My  knowledge about the different kinds of tea was as dim as swallows in winter. However, each and every variant I tried at Karma Kettle stood out.

We started with Iced teas :

^{Tahiti (no tea leaves, dry strawberries, cocscum flower  & hibiscus flower)}

^{This Variant of Iced Tea tastes amazing ,like most of you i knew about hibiscus tea too,but I had no idea about how Cockscombe flower (Morog phool) can be used in a beverage .If you are looking for a no-caffeine variant choose this ,they call this ‘Tea’ because of the energy factor ,Tahiti contains no tea leaves .} 

^{It brews to a striking pink-ruby cup and is loaded with jammy flavours making it the perfect companion for warm sunny days!}

^{Pina Colada ( tea leaves, pinapple, coconut, passion fruit blended with darjeeling tea )}

^{‘Pina Colada ‘ is a common name we find in cocktails and mocktails .Magic starts  when passion fruit and darjeeling tea works as a twister .}

This black tea brew is a sultry taste explosion of pineapple, tropical fruit and coconut.
^{The presence of cocunut contributes a lot to the required sweetness while passion fruit ,and darjeeling tea maintains a perfect equilibrium when it comes to sultry and subltle tangy  flavour in the beverage .} 

^{Aam salaam (dehydrated mangoes, pinch of chaat masala & sugar to taste)}

^{For ' all season tea person’ like me this variant named Aam Salaam  is going to be my excuse to visit Karma Kettle Tea Room this Summer .}
This flavor profile continues in the tasting notes too- juicy mangoes with a hint of raw mango and cumin add a tantalizing sharpness to this refreshing iced tea that will tease your taste buds.
^{Honestly, I loved every thing about  Aam Salaam. The taste is something you can relate to Aam Panna .} 
If you want to try any of these above metioned iced-tea ,it will cost you Rs.125 /- +tax  each

^{You can get low caffeine and absolutely caffeine free variants of tea here .They do not use any artifcial flavour or ingredients .}

The iced-tea variants I mentioned are  Priced : 125/- + tax

^{'Picture Ab Bhi Baaki hai '  kind of vibes came when the High Tea platter arrived}

^{I was like drooling over the names though! (read : I was yet drool over taste). There are Two different styles of high tea platter they serve,  'Gora Saheb' and 'Burra Saheb'. Sounds so Bangaali !!!!!! The vegetarian Burra Saheb High Tea is served with bengali tit-bits, and the Gora Saheb High Tea with delicate english treats.}

^{Burra Saheb}

^{i) Vegetarian Pokoras – 8 Pcs}

ii) Petite Savoury Bites (Cocktail Samosas or Corn and Cheese Tikki or Mini Hara Bhara Kebabs) – 4 Pcs

iii) Fresh Sandesh – 4 Pcs

iv) Indian Sweets – 2 Pcs

v)  Premium Loose Leaf Tea from Karma Kettle

^{Gora Saheb –}

^{i) Finger Sandwiches ( Ham and Cheese or Cucumber and Homemade Cheese) – 4 Pcs}

^{ii ) Sweet Treats – 2 Pcs}

^{iii) Coconut Macaroons – 2 Pcs}

^{iv) Chicken or Vegetarian Quiche – 1 Pc}

^{v) Chocolate Brownie}

^{vi) Premium Loose Leaf Tea from Karma Kettle}

<sup>Any High Tea platter you order serves tea which is sufficient for two people. Each and every delicasy they serve tastes authentic . The fries and sweets in burra saheb will remind you of authentic 'Bangaalir Cha er Adda' . And Gora Saheb comes with absolutely lovely english treats .You get Premium Loose Leaf Variants to choose from their menu for your choice of tea to accompany the above mentioned Hight-Tea Platter .

Any High-Tea Platter you choose will cost you 450/- +taxes</sup>

^{Being a tea lover I would recomment the variant Matcha mandarin (gentle quality of green tea, matcha powder & mandarin orange peel) 
This is japanese tea with orange peel extracts .We have heard a lot about the use of Matcha in beauty products .I knew very little about matcha so far ,this variant contains mandarin orange peel extract thus this is the best one you should try during this season .}

^{Great wall (longjing tea from china,pandan leaves, marshmallow,sour cherries & melon): Great Wall is another amazing variant to try .This premium tea is combined with oriental flora and fruit making this a treat to drink .It tastes absolutely amazing and mashmallow’s sweetness and melon’s sweet plus luscious succulent fruity flavour blended with longjing tea and pandan leaves will impress tea lovers .
Great Wall is a premium blend that perfectly marries Longjing tea to pandan leaves, lemongrass, sour cherries, melon seeds, musk melon & lychee rendering a luscious succulent finish to the cup.}

Canton- Lapsang Souchang tea ^{(oolong tea, hand made):
 Canton is a black tea originating from the Himalayas. This is a famous smokey variant that originates from China's Fujian province .Tea leaves are dried or smoked over slow burning pine wood rendering a unique smoky flavor and long finish. Lapsang Souchang has many health benefits most notably it’s high antioxidant count which prevents heart disease and cancer.}

^{Canton will actually will transport  you to mainland china.After 14 long years mercury dropped so low in Kolkata.If you want to enjoy a Hill station mood here ,nothing else can replace Karma Kettle's decore ,Canton teamed with  Hot Steamed Momos .When I saw Momos ,i was nurturing a thought similar to what i expressed , a voice from deep inside was saying " Can these momos beat  authentic Hill station momos ?" .Trust me Canton teamed  with Momos that tastes so good definitely makes this world a better place . Let alone Tibetian and Chinese restaurants , these yummy momos beat authentic Hill station momos with ease.}

Picture courtesy: Pallabi from allthingssassy

Picture courtesy: Pallabi from allthingssassy

^{The ambience and decore will impress any tea lover .Even if you are not a tea lover, but you love and appreciate authenticity maintained in theme,this place is definitely inspiration for you .}

The exclusivity of Karma Kettle lies in their plethora of caffeine free teas that includes tisanes, wellness teas and detox teas which come with added health benefits.

^{Valentines day is nearing ,if your man or girl is a Tea Lover this place has collection that includes accessories related to tea .}

^{So, I guess I gave you gifting idea.So,4 Swinhoe Street is your destination .}