Green Vanilla Decaffeinated Tea, a pleasure to taste.

Green Vanilla Decaffeinated Tea, a pleasure to taste.

Gently decaffeinated China green Sencha tea, with a hint of Bourbon vanilla; takes your senses to a more serene place. The natural flavouring and aroma is heaven in a cup. Surprisingly invigorating for a caffeine free drink, yet leaving a mellow sense of well being; as if all could be right with the world (for a moment anyway) What a taste; what an aroma; seriously delicious and smooth as silk, for lovers of vanilla (which I am) this is an absolute must, and even if you are not a usual decaf enthusiast you won't be disappointed. You may have gathered also (from previous reviews) that I love a lot of things (mostly flavoured tea related) the only exception thus far being “Sage tea” which is (as far as I am concerned) the devils favourite (maybe) that one you will have to try for yourself, I couldn't get past the (not even an aroma) smell. The boss wasn't happy with that one and did mention that I am supposed to find something good in all things; but I draw the line at sage tea! However, I digress – Try the Green Vanilla Decaf, brew for 2 – 3 minutes (or longer for a deeper flavour) it's absolutely fabulous. Here at the uklooseleafteacompany we pride ourselves on stating the facts regarding the taste and aroma's of the teas we supply, not just for sales and marketing purposes, but for the pleasure and enjoyment from customers trusting our judgement and our tea and placing many repeat orders, and this is no exception.

A little interesting information on Vanilla. It is the flavouring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (V. planifolia). The word vanilla, is derived from the diminutive of the Spanish word vaina (vaina itself meaning sheath or pod), is translated simply as "little pod". Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people cultivated the vine of the vanilla orchid, called tlilxochitl by the Aztecs. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés is credited with introducing both vanilla and chocolate to Europe in the 1520's.

Initial attempts to cultivate vanilla outside Mexico and Central America proved futile because of the symbiotic relationship between the vanilla orchid and its natural pollinator, the local species of Melipona bee. Pollination is required to set the fruit from which the flavouring is derived. In 1837, Belgian botanist Charles François Antoine Morren discovered this fact and pioneered a method of artificially pollinating the plant. The method proved financially unworkable and was not deployed commercially. In 1841, Edmond Albius, a slave who lived on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, discovered at the age of 12 that the plant could be hand-pollinated. Hand-pollination allowed global cultivation of the plant as we know it today.

Three major species of vanilla currently are grown globally, all of which derive from a species originally found in Mesoamerica, including parts of modern-day Mexico. They are V. planifolia (syn. V. fragrans), grown on Madagascar, Réunion, and other tropical areas along the Indian Ocean; V. tahitensis, grown in the South Pacific; and V. pompona, found in the West Indies, and Central and South America. The majority of the world's vanilla is the V. planifoliaspecies, more commonly known as Bourbon vanilla (after the former name of Réunion, Île Bourbon) or Madagascar vanilla, which is produced in Madagascar and neighbouring islands in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and in Indonesia.

Vanilla is the second-most expensive spice after saffron, because growing the vanilla seed pods is labour-intensive. Despite the expense, vanilla is highly valued for its flavour. As a result, vanilla is widely used in both commercial and domestic baking, perfume manufacture, and aromatherapy.