Pop goes the mad tea party

We entered Tea Trails the new cosy cafeacute at BandraKurla Complex and saw the predictable snacks lined up behind glass counters mdash pizzas and rolls covered with a film of plastic Black Forest pastry and the likes Then we ran our eyes through the tea menu which we were specifically there forThe Tea Explorer comprises any four teas of your choice and is served with palmiers cheese sticks and cookies PicsPradeep DhivarTea Trails offers an array of hot and iced teas There are international varieties such as Yerba Mate Argentina and Fruity Seylon Sri Lanka classic brews including Earl Grey green teas tisane and Taiwanese Bubble Teas They also have salads rolls sandwiches tarts and cakesThe lycheeflavoured Taiwanese Bubble TeaWe began with the Tea Explorer Rs 250 which offers a choice of four teas After we were done toying with the pretty little tea cups we started with something we were fairly familiar with mdash the Chamomile Green tea mdash and were reassured at the light delicate aftertaste it left behind Oolong on the other hand has a traditional Chinese tea and is made after its leaves are withered and semioxidised The result is memorable and woody and true to its name a notch lower than the strong oxidised flavour we expectedWe then moved to the Rooibos which is a South African specialty whose colour immediately makes us think of the African clicheacute ndash wild deep red horizons at sunset We also think of Mma Ramotswe Botswanarsquos first lady detective in Alexander McCall Smithrsquos muchloved series The No 1 Ladiesrsquo Detective Agency She is devoted to ldquonot ordinary teardquo but to Rooibos bush tea and is her answer to any bad situation We now know why mdash Rooibos is caffeine free yet has an intense fullbodied texture which is unlike anything we had had beforeIt was however the tisane Turkish Red Apple R95 that has levitating properties Pieces of soft apple floated in a light pinkandred liquid and one sip took us to Turkey to a faraway land of colourful labyrinthine bazaars and intimate conversations The Turkish Red Apple did have the taste of travelReluctantly we moved on to the iced teas and sipped the Spiked Mango iced tea R80 which smarted our throats One of us wasnrsquot impressed with the artificial canned taste of the mango in it but quite enjoyed the jolt of red chilli powder The other however wouldnrsquot have another sip of the drink We moved to the Lycheeflavoured Taiwanese Bubble Tea and spotted ample marblesized balls resting at the bottom of the glass We looked this way and that conjectured what they would taste like and concluded that they had to be chewy jellolike at mostSo we scooped some out bit right in and came up laughing at the identical startled expression on each otherrsquos faces as if we had been hit by water balloons It was a bit like that mdash the bubbles in the tea burst in our mouth and we were left with litchi juice swirling merrily inside After we got over the surprise we agreed that the tea was just what one needs to ease summerinduced scowlsIf you love all things tea you yoursquore in for an evening of moodenhancers And if donrsquot drop in to know what faraway lands taste like until you actually land on them