Par Avion Tea’s Fairy Bomb | Tea Review

Since the year is ending, I wanted to use a blooming tea (also called a tea ball) to signify the start of new beginnings!

Description: “[M]agic blooming green tea bursts into Chrysanthemum, Jasmine & Osmanthus” – via Kitten and the Bear

Instructions: 1 1/2 tsp per cup | 100°C/212°F | 3-5 min 

Review: Tea balls are tea wrapped around flowers which opens up (or ‘blooms’) as they are infused in hot water. I’ve found they tend to be a bit of trial and error as it is a delicate balance between letting the tea open up and not steeping the tea too long and the liquor becomes bitter. What added to some confusion is Kitten and the Bear (where I ordered the tea from) and the company itself (Par Avion Tea) had differing steeping instructions. I decided to try both instructions and then try my own parameters. I brewed in a teapot and a cup and used different water temperatures.

The tea ball itself was tear-shaped with the tea leaves following the shape of the ball. It was tightly wrapped with thread but peaking between the tea leaves was a hint of red/orange colour from the flowers.

Attempt 1 (Teapot & Boiling Water): The recommendations partially came from Par Avion Tea, as I mistakenly misread the website and used double the water amount. I steeped for around 5 minutes and the liquor had a floral and fruity smell. When hot, the liquor was more floral and fruity (grape) but had some bitterness at the end of the sip. However, when cooled, the taste was more vegetal and astringent.

Attempt 2 (Cup & 175°F Water): Seeing that the first attempt was quite bitter, I decided to try the suggestions from Kitten and the Bear. However, with the much cooler water, despite brewing for over 20 minutes, the flower did not fully bloom. Tasting the liquor, the astringency hit first, followed by the floral and grape notes, that I tasted in Attempt 1.

Attempt 3 (Cup & Boiling Water): Realizing I misread the website, I attempted to try Par Avion Tea recommendation. Since it was a shorter steep time and less water, I assumed it would be a good balance, however, it had the least amount of flavours but visually was the nicest of all the brews. It also had the floral and grapey notes found in the other attempts, with some vegetal notes.

The wet leaves mostly came out in one piece with some broken leaves floating at the bottom of the cup. The unfurled ball had a sweet, grassy, and floral, smell. While not as pretty as when in the water, it was pretty in its own right.

When it came to brewing with different parameters, the taste stayed consistent – the liquor was floral, fruity, and vegetal. I only had enough tea to make 3 infusions, but I feel with a bit more experimentation, the tea could have bloomed and also be palatable. However, for myself, these tend to be more for the visual joy than the overall taste. If I had to pick the best attempt, I would say with the teapot, despite it being prettier in the cup. This is a nice tea if someone is looking for something pretty to watch bloom (2.5/5 rating).