Do you remember those orange-shaped chocolates that you would bang on the table to make it split into segments? And then the sweetness of taking a bit and having orange-flavored chocolate? I love those. Something about orange and chocolate makes one of the most amazing fruit-chocolate pairings. And when I sniffed at this tea, steeping away, those candies immediately came to mind. Or orange-flavored English Smarties (similar to M&Ms). Taking my first sip, I was rewarded with that same flavor laced with good black tea to boot.
We had finished dinner on the patio with friends and moved inside due to a thunderstorm. I offered tea, and Liza, a friend for many years, teased me that I had to ask. The four of us moved to the kitchen, where Mr. Tea Scoop shook his head as the three of us explored the tea cabinet, looking at labels, opening tins, sniffing, exclaiming. You may have noticed that I have a bit of an obsession, and the tea cabinet is overflowing. At last, each person selected their tea, and I pulled out the Chocolate Orange Truffle, which I had yet to try.
This was a wonderful after-dinner tea for conversation into the wee hours. I had to briefly distance myself from the conversation simply to savor it, but found that once I had settled into the second cup, I could pull myself away from the chocolate covered orange and participate in the conversation once again.
