Tea

Tea from Asia, Türkiye and the rest of the world – Japanese matcha, Indian chai, Turkish black tea and caffeine-free herbal blends. More than 150 products, in bags and as powder.

Finding your way around

The range is split in three. Matcha is the Japanese shelf: finely ground green tea for drinking and baking. Black tea and oolong is the everyday tea – Turkish çay, Earl Grey, Assam and semi-oxidised oolong. Chai and herbal tea covers spiced Indian tea and the caffeine-free blends. If you want your tea ready to drink in a carton, it sits under iced tea and coffee.

Green tea and matcha

Green tea is unoxidised leaf, and the flavour runs from grassy and fresh to nutty. Japanese sencha and genmaicha are the most common bagged varieties. Matcha is its own thing: shade-grown leaves ground to a powder, so you drink the whole leaf instead of an infusion. Ceremonial grade is for the teacup, culinary grade for lattes and baking.

Black tea, oolong and Turkish çay

Black tea is fully oxidised and takes both milk and sugar. Turkish çay is the strongest of them and is made in a double kettle – concentrate in the top pot, hot water in the bottom one, so you mix the strength yourself in the glass. Oolong sits between green and black, partly oxidised, and stands up to several infusions from the same leaves. All of it sits under black tea and oolong.

Chai and herbal tea

Chai is black tea simmered with milk and spices – cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove and pepper. Ready-made chai blends save you measuring out the spice yourself. Herbal tea is strictly speaking not tea at all: rooibos, chamomile, mint and fennel come from other plants and contain no caffeine. Both sit under chai and herbal tea.

The brands we carry

Doğadan is our largest tea brand and accounts for much of the Turkish range. Alongside it we carry Twinings, Yorkshire, Aroma Tea and Jade Leaf. Brand names are written as they appear on the pack.

Steeping time and temperature

Green tea and matcha want water around 80 °C and a short steep, one to two minutes. Boiling water turns them bitter. Black tea handles 95 °C and steeps for three to five minutes. Oolong sits in between, around 90 °C. Herbal tea and rooibos can stand as long as you like without turning bitter, so taste decides. Matcha is not steeped but whisked: one to two grams of powder with a little hot water until it foams.

Frequently asked questions about tea

What is the difference between green, black and oolong tea? Same plant, different oxidation. Green tea is unoxidised, black tea fully oxidised, and oolong sits somewhere in between.

Is herbal tea really tea? Strictly speaking, no. Rooibos, chamomile and mint do not come from the tea plant, but they are sold and drunk as tea. You will find them under chai and herbal tea.

How long does tea keep? Dry tea keeps for years but loses aroma over time. Store it airtight, in the dark and away from spices – tea leaves pick up smells.

What is Turkish çay? Strong black tea brewed in a double kettle and served in small tulip glasses. Doğadan is the brand most people recognise.

How do I make a matcha latte? Whisk one to two grams of matcha with a little water at around 80 °C until it foams, then top up with hot or cold milk. Sweeten to taste.