Zangvil Tea Mystery Ingredient Revealed!
Zangvil's mystery ingredient is...
Ambrette seed!
The seeds of Abelmoschus moschatus (an evergreen shrub from the hibiscus family, with yellow flowers with purplish-pink centre) are known for being the most similar plant aroma to that of the deer musk!
Because of its beautiful, musky odour, floral, wine-like, nutty, reminiscent of overripe fruit or even lychee. It is very rich in ambrettolide, which smells like what we learned to call "white musk" (yup, the one by The Body Shop!). Ambrette seed is considered an aphrodisiac. It is also used as spice in the East, and is used by Arabs to flavour coffee (much like they do with cardamom seeds). The tincture is used to flavour tobacco as well as liquors. Ambrette also has medicinal benefits (mostly used to ease indigestion, cramps and nervous dyspepsia.
Zangvil tea can be re-steeped as many as 6-7 times, with the woodsy, musky vanillic notes of the hand-sliced vanilla beans and aromatic ambrette seeds and hints of spicy sweetness from the organic candied ginger lingering on and on even beyond the tea leaves themselves (which still emit their subtle, peachy-jasminey aroma till the 4th steeping).
Congratulations to ahsu for guessing correctly (the 2nd time around...).
You will be receiving a 50gr tin of Zangvil tea (value of $30), which will be sent to you when Zangvil perfume & tea are launching - 20.11.2011.
Until than, you can pre-order it online!
Labels: Ambrette Seed, Ambrettolide, Contest, Perfumed Tea, Vegetal Musk, White Musk, Winner Announcement, Zangvil Tea
posted by Ayala Moriel @ 3:09:00 PM
2 Comments:
Whoa, what a novel idea for a tea ingredient! I love it. :)
Ayala, what an interesting use for ambrette seed, I didn't realize it was used in the east for flavoring. I'm very excited to have won your contest, and thankful you let us have second guesses. :) I wanted to add that when you hinted it added a subtle luxurious feel, I immediately thought "musk". My mind immediately went to ambergris, but then I had to think of an alternative that could actually be added to a tea you're trying to sell and came up with ambrette seed.
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