It Takes a Village…

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but what about tea?

Martin Ekechukwu would likely say yes to both. The founder, CEO, and Creative Director of Village Tea Company Distribution, Inc. and the Village Tea Company brand, 33-year-old Martin was born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and Czech mother. The youngest of four children, he spent most of his childhood taking trips between Nigeria and the Czech Republic in order to visit his extended Czech family and attend summer school in the Czech Republic. During these Central European forays, Martin developed a taste for tea as he shared many cups with his grandmother. Then, in the late 1980s, in pursuit of better opportunities, Martin’s father moved the family to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Eventually, Martin attended both the University of Arkansas and then the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Martin then worked for the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, where he became fascinated with the research on tea and its health benefits. Vowing never to forget his roots in “the village” – the tight-knit community he was raised in – Martin found it apt to name his new endeavor Village Tea, which he launched in 2009.

The dietary and health benefits of tea have been known for quite some time, particularly within Asia. However, here in the West, where British Imperialism and black teas have ruled for centuries, other teas are more recently catching our attention, such as white and green (and including the darkened, post-fermented green or pu-erh tea). (Your Hedonista has already written several tea-related articles here on Heed the Hedonist – feel free to use the “search” box on the right-hand side of the articles.) I was recently sent a media sample kit from Village Tea Company, in order to sample a cross-section of their various offerings.

The brand, culture, and packaging get a thumbs-up in terms of adherence to earth-friendly packaging – packaging which is made from 100% recycled paper material that is also 100% recyclable. They also use two kinds of tea bags: non-bleach cotton filter tea bags (found in the Strawberry Passion White Tea Fullsize) as well as sealed “soilon” bags that are made from soy (found in the Cherry Me Bloom Rooibos with Açaí). Both bags, I was told, are fully biodegradable and compostable. On my Strawberry Passion White Tea Fullsized paper tea can, the Village Tea Company encourages that it be reused “as a handy receptacle for pens and pencils, coins, paper clips, candies or potpourri.” What’s more, in addition to several non-bleach cotton filter tea bags in this can, the tea itself comes in two 100% cotton pouches for use as reusable tea “steepers” – simply empty, preferably compost the tea, wash, dry, and reuse the pouches.

In addition to their environmental culture, they also promote ethical business practices in the form of fostering sustainable relations with tea growers. And their slogan reveals teas that are unpretentious: Village Tea – More Flavor. Less Etiquette.

Overall, I enjoyed the teas. My only real complaints: 1) the tube packaging is hard to pull open, especially in the beginning, 2) they list “flavor” as an ingredient on many of their teas (when I inquired, I was assured it was natural flavor, to which I replied that they should then say that and identify what the natural flavor is), and 3) the Earl Grey was more black tea and less Bergamot than I like (I’m admittedly a Bergamot-heavy kinda gal when it comes to my Earl Grey teas).

Most of their teas resemble potpourri in appearance, which is a very good thing. (Note: Although the word in French could literally be interpreted to mean a container of garbage/junk, hodge podge/mish mash or something akin to the kitchen sink, by potpourri here I’m referring to the pleasantly fragrant-smelling collection of dried flora/botanicals often used to give a room a nice scent.) In other words, they seem to generally get that “tea dust” – what I often analogize to the powder at the bottom of a bag of potato chips – is anything but an ideal way to enjoy tea.

My tasting notes – in the order I tried them, with ingredients listed in no particular order – follow:

Strawberry Passion White Tea: A big, chunky, potpourri-licious tea with big milk chocolate and strawberry on the nose and a light white tea flavor profile with a strawberry finish. Made with Chinese Bai Mu Dan white tea, (”natural strawberry”) flavor, and dried strawberry pieces. My fav tea of the media kit.

Sassy Green Tea with Açaí: Another lovely salad-like tea, complete with Chinese green tea and pieces of orange peel and peach as well as ginger, (”natural peach”) flavor, chilies, cloves, safflower, and açaí. Pleasantly tart on the nose, with spicy peach and orange on the palate. A stimulating, uplifting tea. My second fav of these Village Teas.

Gentle Organic Lemon Ginger Green Tea: Looks like lemon grass, with lemon grass on the nose. The flavor profile is toasty and reminds me of autumn tastes. The longer this tea steeps, the more ginger-forward it becomes. Made with the organic ingredients of Chinese Guo Lu green tea, lemon grass, lemon myrtle, and ginger root. Certified 100% organic by QCS (Quality Certification Services).

Cherry Me Bloom Rooibos with Açaí: Comes in those triangular soilon bags described above, so as not to turn the blend into “tea dust.” Cherry on the nose, with a combination of rooibos, roasted, and grassy flavors. Made with (”natural cherry”) flavor and rooibos, sour cherry, lemon grass, sunflower petals, and açaí.

Simply Earl Grey: This tea was the closest to “tea dust” as I could find with this typically gloriously chunky line of blended and flavored teas. It also was black tea heavy on both nose and tongue with being light on the Beragmot. Made with black tea and (”natural Bergamot”) flavor. Of all of the ones I tasted, this was the closest to a dud that I could find.

(Well done, Martin and company!)

In addition to being available for online purchase, Village Teas are available in stores across the United States, such as at Whole Foods Market.

(Oh, and Martin and Village Tea Company are on Facebook and Twitter, too.)

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.