Some simple pleasures are even better for being well paired: a glass of wine and a plate of cheese, coffee and walnut cake, a good book and a comfy chair… But if you’ve never thought of pairing a cup of tea with a scent, you may have been missing out. “Taste and smell are intimately entwined, and when scents and flavours are paired beautifully, they can create fantastic experiences,” says Chantal M’Biki, founder of House of Lilah, specialists in pairing tea blends and candle scents.
Our modern and fast-paced lifestyles don’t always allow time for creative stimulation and that’s what House of Lilah hopes to put right. Whether you want to relax your mind, awaken your senses or stimulate your imagination, there’s a tea and scent pairing that might help. It turns out there’s a bit more to it than matching a cup of Yorkshire Tea with the aroma of a nearby Chocolate Hobnob… Here are a few ideas from Chantal that you can recreate at home for pairing scents with Earl Grey:
Earl Grey is a British classic with a very recognizable floral taste. It’s great for those who want a little caffeine fix without the bitterness. Originally, it was a black tea base flavoured with bergamot oil, delivering a lemon taste with a hint of grapefruit. Nowadays, it’s also produced with a green tea base.
Try a candle with aromatic top notes such as basil, rosemary or sage, which will complement the Earl Grey aromas and can help create an uplifting atmosphere. We’ve created a similar feeling with our House of Lilah Freedom pairings, such as the Tutti Frutti loose leaf tea with the Sun in a Pot soy candle.
If you’d like to read more about Chantal, she appears in our My Day in Cups of Tea page in the July issue, which is on sale now. And if you’re interested in buying any matched teas and candles from House of Lilah she has a few suggestions below:
The Slow Motion candle and Loving Kindness tea is a beautiful duo that brings mindfulness to everyday life. The candle’s citrusy top notes beautifully enhance the orange and cinnamon aromas to induce alertness. The earthy taste of the red rooibos tea echoes the candle’s smoky, woody base notes, to create a warm and enveloping atmosphere conducive to full relaxation and reconnection with yourself.
Our Tomato Leaf candle and Tropical Escape tea is the perfect pair for those who want to open their mind to new horizons. The herbal and slightly bitter sencha green tea intensifies the candle’s leafy green base notes. The tart tomato accents complement the sweet and sour flavours of mango and pineapple, to create an unexpected fruity fusion.
Follow House of Lilah on instagram @houseoflilah_london.
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