Mauritius lies in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and about 2400 km off the south eastern coast of Africa. The island was once the home of the Dodo bird. The country Mauritius gained its independence from Great Britain in 1968. It is a nation with a fusion of French, Creole, Indian and Chinese cultures.
Tea has been grown in Mauritius since 18th century. Today there are several tea plantations and factories there. Bois Cheri is the oldest and largest tea estate. This black tea from Bois Cheri is flavored with vanilla, which may be produced locally or in Madagascar. Some speculated that flavoring was combined with Mauritian tea to add a dimension to a tropic-grown tea that tends to be less complex than an alpine-grown one.
The vanilla in the tea is very soft and does not leave an artificial aftertaste. This tea is traditionally prepared with milk and sugar or honey.
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| Mauritius Vanilla Tea |
Type: Black Tea Producing Country: Mauritius Preparation: 95°C 3 Minutes
Dry Leaf: The dark brown broken pieces have nice vanilla and dried fruit scents.
Wet Leaf: The wet leaves are faintly vanilla and like an Assam-type black tea.
Liquor: The mahogany tea is full-bodied but quite smooth. It has soft vanilla and dark chocolate aromas. Its astringency and maltiness are subtle. The vanilla does not overpower the black tea, which is comparable to a Kenya tea. The tea is nice with or without milk.
Tee Score: 4 out of 5
