I want Kandy

Black tea has always been my favourite tea!  Regardless of all the new-fangled types and blends that come along, a plain whole leaf black tea is the classic.

The Tea Centre has a lovely, relatively inexpensive black tea that is just lovely: Ceylon Kandy OP.

So what's in a name?

Ceylon:  obviously, the tea is from Sri Lanka;
Kandy:  no idea, but is sounds tasty; and
OP:  this stands for "Orange Pekoe".  Yes, I know that Orange Pekoe is a tea type in its own right but orange pekoe actually refers to a tea made using the full unbroken black tea leaf.  Blended teas like English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast are not made using full tea leaves, rather broken leaves, so they are not orange pekoe tea.

So, in front of me is a lovely cup of Kandy.  It is without sugar or milk.  It smells very strong.  Like rich tomato bolognase, like chocolate and hot chips.  It's a whole meal in one small cup and yet the smells seem fitting and right together.

The taste is slightly smoky but full-bodied.  Like a red wine.  The flavour is like tomatos and rich lasagne.  It is delicious but not sweet.  It is a heavenly savoury taste, unexpected in a cup of tea.

There is no bitterness, bite or acid.  It is smooth and aromatic.

I don't think I need dinner now.  Or maybe some lasagne would hit the spot....