It’s another edition of SCK Tries where we try out a DIY or kit to see how it works in real life and whether we’d recommend you give it a go. This time I’m trying out a Tea Starter Kit from Nature’s Apothecary, which features a variety of loose-leaf teas to kickstart your tea brewing journey.
The Original Kit
When one of our cats, Luka, accidentally(?) broke my glass tea infuser, I came across Nature’s Apothecary, a local tea company based here in the Philippines. Aside from recently deciding to take more health-conscious choices and explore more loose-leaf tea flavors, I saw that their tea starter kit included a steel scoop and infuser, which is a little more cat-friendly material and helped push me into finally making the purchase.
The box’s colors also reminded me of Xingqiu from Genshin Impact, and I had to pose my plush next to it while imagining how he could be sampling tea while writing or reading a book.
Kit Contents & Materials
The tea starter kit included 9 sachets of pre-selected loose-leaf teas:
- 1 oolong tea (Gaia’s Garden)
- 1 signature blend (Hibiscus Dazzler)
- 2 black teas (English Breakfast, Keemun)
- 2 green teas (Forest Pearl, Sencha)
- 3 flower teas (Jasmine Buds, Rose Buds, Butterfly Pea)
It also had the following freebies, which was really neat:
- Mint
- Tea scoop
- Basket infuser
- Pamphlet
- Hello Sunshine freebie tea sample
I loved the overall aesthetics used in the kit. Each tea sachet had a unique design, and the pamphlet colorfully introduced information about the loose-leaf tea varieties included. The teas were equally split into caffeinated and caffeine-free variants, and I appreciated them including a freebie sample of a tea variant that wasn’t part of the kit’s original lineup.
Process
It wasn’t my first time brewing loose-leaf tea, but I can’t really call myself well-versed as there are times when I still mess up the temperature and steeping time. Aside from the physical pamphlet, Nature’s Apothecary includes a loose-leaf tea brewing guide in their website which makes for a quick and helpful reference.
I decided to brew a cup of jasmine tea, and based on their guide, flower tea has a longer steeping time compared to other teas. I wanted to experiment a bit by trying the jasmine flower tea by itself, and then turning it into iced milk tea by adding oat milk, sugar syrup, and ice. I also decided to go ahead and pour the freshly boiled water directly into the cup instead of pouring it over the flower buds.
Next, I put the basket infuser into the cup, then added one scoop of the jasmine flower buds.
After which, I closed the infuser using the lid. I waited for the tea to finish steeping for 10 minutes, then I removed the infuser. I took a couple of sips and liked the taste, but I was really craving for milk tea at the time so I then added as much oat milk and sugar syrup as I wanted.
The End Result
After adding ice cubes, stirring, and taking more sips, it actually tasted pretty good! I haven’t had jasmine milk/tea in a long time, but it’s still as calming as I remember. While doing the entire process, I started to understand why a lot of people typically prefer loose-leaf teas. Flavor and quality aside, the entire brewing experience works a bit like a self-care ritual. Great things can’t be rushed, after all, and it was nice to have my mind set to take some time aside from a busy work day to make my own cup of tea.
I did the same process with the other tea variants over the course of the week, while watching out for temperatures and steeping times as needed. With boba milk tea being my not-so-formal introduction into the world of tea, I enjoyed both the English breakfast and Keemun black teas the most. Blue butterfly pea was also really good in terms of color, taste, and quality. Plus, mint was a nice surprise, as it stood well even when brewed by itself.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience with this kit, and I’m happy to say that I now have a more solid idea on which variants to get moving forward.
Nature’s Apothecary’s tea starter kit can be purchased via their website, Shopee (where I purchased mine), or Lazada. If you’re based outside the Philippines and would like to give them a try, I recommend contacting them via email. Otherwise, have a look at tea shops local to you for a similar starter kit.
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