Tea Heaven in Starbucks Teavana

We’re both an avid fan of coffee that we often skipped the other half of the pair. The same goes whenever we landed on our local Starbucks®. It’s always about Americano and Double Ice Shaken Espresso. Until the recent Teavana™ craze hit in. 

As a guest, Tea Specialist Ratna Somantri often encounter the apologizing host that he/she could only serve tea. She thought the apology isn’t necessary. Indonesia is one of the largest tea producing countries and has been exporting the commodity since 1800 to Europe. That’s why Starbucks® decided to give tea a go. “We try to bring interesting experience for our customers in Indonesia, who always look for new experience,” explained Sari Siswami, head of Marketing Starbucks Indonesia. 

So, here’s where Teavana ™ enters the spotlight. Starbucks Teavana Handcrafted Beverages and Starbucks Teavana Full Leaf Tea Sachet were launched in all 250 stores in Indonesia. Available in hot or cold mix, the name derived from “Tea Heaven” and arrived in pyramid bags of loose tea. The pyramid shape is crucial because it allows loose tea to expand while brewed. 

You’ll never guess that tea is as complicated as coffee when it comes to consumption. The type of tea, water temperature and the amount of water poured in are deciding factors whether the tea served are flavorful. This time, along with the tea specialist, we’re brewing English Breakfast, which in Starbucks is a mix of Indian Assam, Sri Lankan Ceylon and Chinese Black Tea. The latter is used to create milder result. Black tea requires almost boiling water, so it was 95 degrees before being poured to the cups filled with tea leaves. Don’t worry about water because Starbucks comes with the right size of cup for this. After brewing, the bright and clear reddish brown color proves that the tea is of high quality. 

Extraordinary tea calls for extraordinary drinks. The new tea-based beverages crafted for Teavana promotion are Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit, Ice Shaken Green Tea with Aloe and Prickly Pear and Ice Shaken Green Tea with Pomegranate Pearls. 

Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit 

Ice Shaken Green Tea with Pomegranate Pearls 

Ice Shaken Green Tea with Aloe and Prickly Pear

Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit
Enjoy this with honey. No sugar. We’re served the cold version, but we think the warm drink should be as amazing. A blend of tea, grapefruit and honey is a good source of vitamin A and C dan rich antioxidants.

Ice Shaken Green Tea with Aloe and Prickly Pear
Prickly Pear is edible cactus from the southern part of the Americas, a good boost for your immune system and digestion. The syrup is used in this tea combination alongside Aloe Vera.

Ice Shaken Green Tea with Pomegranate Pearls
Popping pearls gets an upgrade. Enjoy the sensation as each pearl shoots pomegranate flavor in your mouth and blends with the tea taste. Ask for less or no sugar if you want to.

Teavana shows how tea can be as fun while staying true to their elegance. Aside from the three fun fusions, Starbucks Teavana Dull Leaf Tea Sachets are available for you who prefer classic and calming drinks: English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Chai, Mint Citrus, Mint Blend, Chamomile. The last one is a personal favorite with its relaxing and soothing effects. Looking forward to see their boxes displayed on Starbucks Indonesia ‘s shelves. Earl Grey is classic, a bergamot and lavender black tea blend, while Mint Citrus (green tea, lemon verbena, lemongrass and spearmint) offers a refreshing chilled drinks on a hot day.

What to eat with tea?

• Lovin’ Apple Pie, a grandma’s classic recipe that stays true to its flavor. 
• Snap Into Egg, an egg salad sandwich in whole wheat sliced bread. 
• Leggo My Tuna, an old-fashioned tuna sandwich whole wheat toast. 
• Croque Monsieur Smack, Parisian inspired menu of ham & cheese sandwich. 
• Banana éclair Adventure, your favorite choux paste with real banana cream custard filling. 
• Curiously Warm Croissant, Asian twist of French favorite with salted egg cream custard. 
• Breakfast Hero Wrap, a morning energy-booster of egg, potato, smoked beef and veggies wrapped in tortilla. 
• Salad Kit, available in Hi-Fiber and Hi-Protein type. 

Great tea appeals to coffee lovers too. So why don’t you give this Teavana cup a try for a change. Especially when you need a break from your caffeine stream. It’s one step to a healthier body.