Mlesna Loolecondera Tea, 10 Luxury Tea Bags is the small box of this strong Ceylon black tea: 20 g in ten bags, a sensible size for trying the Loolecondera BOP Fannings grade before committing to a larger pack, or for keeping in a desk drawer or a travel bag. It wears a different livery from the rest of Mlesna's Loolecondera range, with a warm orange-and-gold front showing a steaming cup beside the Loolecondera BOP Fannings label, and the words "Luxury Tea Bags".
This box brews differently. Its directions are shorter than those on Mlesna's larger cartons, and they include an iced version:
- Brew one tea bag per serving, in a teapot or a tea cup.
- Remove the infused tea bag after 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve hot, with sugar to taste if you like.
- If you prefer it cold, chill it in the refrigerator and serve it over ice cubes, with sugar syrup to taste.
The short steep suits a small-particle grade, which gives up its colour and strength quickly. For the iced version, let the tea cool before it goes into the refrigerator, and sweeten with syrup rather than granulated sugar, which dissolves poorly in cold tea. Mlesna's larger Loolecondera cartons also suggest milk or a slice of lemon.
The story on the side panels. One side repeats Mlesna's description of a "Superior Quality Tea" selected "from the seasonal production of Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings of Loolecondera Estate, the first Ceylon Tea Estate born in 1867". The other shows James Taylor, whom the caption calls "the father of Ceylon Tea". Loolecondera is the estate near Deltota, south-east of Kandy, where Taylor cleared 19 acres for tea in 1867, and the whole Ceylon tea industry traces its start to that planting.
Ingredients and packer. The ingredient line reads "Pure Ceylon Tea". The box is packed in Sri Lanka by Mlesna (Ceylon) Ltd of Colombo and carries the Sri Lanka Tea Board's Lion Logo. Its base has spaces for the date of manufacture, best-before date and batch number, and asks you to store the box in a cool, dry place. Like all black tea, it naturally contains caffeine.
In the box. 10 tea bags, 20 g net, which works out at 2 g of tea in each bag.
