So which tea did Queen Mary (1867-1953) so prize that she had to keep it locked in a cupboard?
According to James Norwood Pratt, pioneer of the current tea wave in the USA, it was "a fine Darjeeling with a pronounced muscatel flavor." This was the Queen Mary Tea Twinings sold as the personal choice of the late Queen Mary, he adds, in his book The Tea Lovers' Treasury.
A bit of internet "research" showed that Twinings had launched this tea in 1916 and discontinued it only in 2007, after over 91 years! It is amazing the brand lasted so long. But we amuse ourselves with the thought that they could have given it 10 more years and let it retire at a more auspicious and grand 100 years! That is if they had to drop this tea from their stable.
First Flush or Spring Flush (more simply, spring teas) is one of the highlights of the tea tradition. After the winter dormancy of around 3 months, new shoots from the tea bushes begin arriving around late February, in case of...
