Kashmiri Kahwa Tea

  There never seems to be enough time in the day.  By the time one goes to work, schedule and attend all of the kids appointments – from football practice to parent/teacher conferences, spends quality time with the family, and make some mediocre attempt to manage household duties, it is time to go to bed and start the insanity all over again the next day. Whatever your responsibilities call for, it is always nice to steal a little time out of the day to spend doing the things you enjoy doing.  Like … a phone conversation with friends,  reading a good book, a walk in the sunshine (unless you live in the midwest where the weather resembles rainy London or Seattle) or savor a cup of tea.

So this afternoon, I took a few minutes to make a cup of tea and simply enjoy it. In the midst of meetings, performance reviews, and following up on past due invoices, I inhaled deeply the aroma of  Kashmiri Kahwa.

Composition:  Pure Nilgiri loose leaf tea blended with almonds, cardamon, cinnamon and a hint of saffron.

Dry Visual: I am unable to ascertain as the tea comes prepackaged in an aluminum infuser. Thanks Strip Teas for the picture of the actual loose leaf tea.

 Dry Aroma: Spicy – particularly cardamom, which I initially mistook for black licorice and cinnamon.

Flavor:  The first taste exuded the mild characteristic traits of Nilgiri – I new it immediately when it hit my tastebuds. Whenever I taste a tea for the first time, I do so without reading the ingredients to develop an unbiased opinion of the flavors that present themselves. Immediately following the Nilgiri, I was greeted by the spiciness of the cardamom. The sweet taste of cinnamon formed the middle and Kashmiri Kahwa finished with the combined flavors of cinnamon and almond. The nutty flavor of the almond was difficult to ascertain initially yet presented itself later in the cup as Kashmiri Kahwa began to cool.

Kashmiri Kahwa reminds me of a smooth chai tea – a popular Indian way of drinking tea. Interestingly, where I would normlly add milk and honey to a chai tea blended with assam, I found that I preferred the smooth taste of the nigilri without the addition of either. Perhaps in my next cup.

Liquor: A rich brown.

Brewing Time: The recommended steeping time for Kashmiri Kahwa is 1 Strip Tea for 2 – 4 minutes in boiling water.  I steeped for 4 minutes as recommended.

Manufacturer: Strip Teas

Caffeine: Yes.

What’s In A Name?

Kashmir, the first part of Kashmiri Kahwa, is located within the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Kahwah (also spelled qehwa, kehwa or kahwa) is a traditional green tea recipe that originates from Kashmir. It is made in parts of Kashmir administered by Pakistan and India, as well as throughout various regions of the countries.

If you have had the opportunity to try Kashmiri Kahwa, please stop by and share your experience. Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!

References:

1. Kahwah. (2009, February 5). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:08, April 21, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kahwah&oldid=268620973

2. Kashmir. (2009, April 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:09, April 21, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kashmir&oldid=284003085

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