PRINCE OF WALES

This assortment of teas is appropriate for a future monarch. Typically, black teas from many origins, including China, Assam, and Ceylon, are blended to make Prince of Wales tea. Because Edward VII was Prince of Wales before becoming King of the United Kingdom, it carries his name. Milk is often added to the tea because of the strong flavour that it brings out. Since its inception at the turn of the twentieth century, it has grown in popularity among those who like a cup of tea.

This blend relies on a high-quality Indian Assam tea for its flavour. This is done in recognition of India’s contributions to the British Empire. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, India was a popular holiday spot for English royalty, who came there on cruises and to relax at the Darjeeling baths. British monarchs King George V, King George VI, King Edward, and Queen Elizabeth were all fond of sharing tea with their Indian and English counterparts. Likewise, India was strengthened by the tea on which they based their empire.

The British began developing Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) as a tea-growing region in the mid-nineteenth century. There are currently hundreds of thousands of people on the ‘teardrop’ shaped island of Sri Lanka who have occupations directly or indirectly related to the production and export of tea. You may observe the British character in the construction of the roads, trains, and tea plantations. Only the Brits in the 1800s would have been “crazy” enough to build roads through the dense forests and treacherous mountains.

According to the spirit of the British national hymn, “God Save the King,” we included Gunpowder green tea and Lucky Dragon Hyson green tea, both of which are known for their high polyphenol counts.

The bungalows and gardens seen on the tea plantations are typical of the efforts made by the English colonists to maintain a sense of familiarity with their homeland. To give the “expats” a taste of home, we added a touch of black currants to this mixture. Black currants are a common garden berry in England.