I chanced upon Pranayum Tea by luck.
Knowing my love for all things tea and the work I do around it, a close friend from my MBA days Sai Sudha, introduced me to Seema who runs Pranayum from Hong Kong.
Seema is a very nice person, polite and humble; it was really refreshing to find an entrepreneur who is so down-to-earth, in spite of her very interesting international background. (Does Tea do that to you? J )
When Seema told me she is willing to ship her pack of four teas for me to try, I was more than happy.
Coming from Hong Kong took a little time but I must say, the teas are worth the wait.
The packaging is beautiful (the inspiration coming from Seema’s mother’s beautiful collection of sarees!); and each of the tea is exotically different.
The Complete Set of Pranayum Teas – I tried Love, Serenity, Bliss & Presence
Once you open a jar, the aroma itself will entice you to try the tea – I loved the names given to each of these teas – they are absolutely apt. Excellent branding, communication and presentation (My alter ego is waking up!)
But why ‘PRANAYUM’? Seema explains, “ ‘Prana’ as in ‘high energy’ and ‘yum’ as in ‘yummy’. Pranayum teas draw inspiration from the ancient wisdoms of health in the Ayurvedic, Mayan and Chinese traditions. At the same time, they impress with sophisticated quality and taste, classifying them as fine teas.” And I must agree that they are incredibly fine teas.
The Pranayum teas are sourced internationally and blended in Hong Kong; and served at deluxe outlets around Hong Kong like the Four Seasons Spa and the Murray hotel as well as at chic outlets internationally in Europe and East Africa. Bloomberg and JP Morgan have also served this tea at their respective corporate events.
On tasting, I found that the aromas of the teas to be little overpowering and so it was a bit difficult to get the true flavours. It took me a couple of brew to get the right balance. But the overall experience was very unique and exciting.
A couple of suggestions:
- The tea inside could be packed in an aluminum foil and not in plastic, because plastic has the tendency to rub off its smell on the things it carries.
- A Brewing process should be mentioned, because all the 4 teas are so different from each other, that if someone is not so much aware of tea, she may not enjoy her brew just for the wrong steeping process.
Overall, the teas are fantastic, the concept is wonderful and they perfectly fit my vision of tea as a celebratory drink.
Pranayum tea is looking to enter India soon; if you are interested please do get in touch with Seema directly at Seema@prana-yum.com
Here is their website : www.prana-yum.com
Tea With Susmita 