Sing in me oh muse on this snow day, and let me proclaim the many virtues of this fine tea. The scent and flavor of this tea are as close to my conception of ambrosia as anything else that has yet crossed my palate. It is full without being overbearing, it is seasoned without being overpowering. It's great with anything from English breakfast fare to hardy curry. Since conception, I have been in love with tea, but "the Prince" was my first fine tea. I have still not recovered from the episode in which my father-in-law-to-be proved to me that bag tea was a crime against humanity. And yet despite amorous flirtations with rare white teas and other wondrous Indian and Chinese estate varieties with unpronounceable names, it's still my favourite.
Never mind the tea purist snobs who rank on it because it's flavored with spice. Would they send back a fine filet because the chef elected to use some pepper or shallots? Ignore the herbal tea-totalers who regard caffeine as sinful. They probably want to outlaw yoga on Sunday too.
Of the five or so Kousmichoff varieties I've had, this one is the clear winner. I've gotten my best results using HOT water steeping for five to six minutes. The stuff is potent enough that you can get, gasp, a reasonably tannin-free second infusion.
My only reservation is this; once you've entered the universe of fine tea, you can never be satisfied drinking Lipton, Salada, Twinings or Tetley again. In guise of gifts, I have managed to get many of my gastronome friends and relations addicted so that I may sup of it when I visit. Isn't it a delicious irony that perhaps the greatest bourgeoisie decadence of the Romanoff dynasty istoday preserved by our friends in socialist France? Viva la Revolution!
rws, 26/1/05
Product Description
Founded in 1867 in Saint-Petersburg, Kusmi Teas are faithful to the spirit of the firm P.M Kousmichoff, supplier of the tsars of ancient Russia. In 1917 when the Revolution started in Russia, anticipating a disaster, the eldest Kusmichoff son transferred a part of his fortune to the London office and then created the Kusmi Tea company in France, based in Paris at 75 avenue Niel, where the company still has its workshop and boutique.
Kousmichoff has been carrying on the same tradition of serving connoisseurs and gourmets, combining discerning taste and creativity. Well known for their superb flavor andsmootheness, they are distributed throughout the world in the most fashionable and exclusive places. Kusmi teas share all the complexity and subtlety of ancient Russia.
Prince Vladimir is a blend of Ceylon and China teas with scents of orange, lemon, vanilla, grapefruit and spices.
Each tin contains 4.4 oz. of Prince Vladimir Loose Leaf Tea by Kusmichoff (Kusmi) Teas from France.
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