Afternoon blend teas are rather aptly named because it is traditionally meant to be enjoyed in the afternoon with a splash of milk and/or sugar alongside a plate of baked sweets such as cookies, scones and even cakes! The actual tea blends themselves can differ between companies but they usually consist of a combination of Assam, Darjeeling, Keemun and Ceylon. As it is with all things in the food and beverage world, rules are hardly made to stay and many people have taken to expanding the definition of what afternoon blend teas can consist of.
Blend teas themselves are made of a variety of leaves, creating a beautiful, unique concoction that has a wonderful depth of flavor to them that otherwise would not be possible. The blends themselves do not only have to consist of tea leaves, they can also have floral notes (rose), herbs (mint), dried pieces of fruit (apples) and even added flavor such as flavored oils (orange oil). It is a matter of how much of each ingredient is added that gives certain afternoon blend teas a flavor distinctive from other teas that may be made of a single ingredient.
A lot of tea drinkers have a preference of loose leaf teas, believing that is it less processed and the flavor and scent is more prominent than what is available in bagged teas. With loose leaf tea it is easy to see the different shape of leaves and the added ingredients popping up between the dried leaves. With a tea steeper or a teapot, some people have said that loose leaf teas, if it is of high quality, are able to be re steeped after the first pour.
Loose leaf tea is best for when the added flavor is dry but for wet added flavor, it is best to have that with bagged tea. This is because bagged tea usually steeps for longer in a cup than a teapot and this allows for the flavor to really be released at a slower rate and making the tea more lush the longer it steeps. Loose leaf tea is perfect if there is company and each person wants a different kind of tea – there is no need to brew 3 different pots of tea.
Teas with fruit in them are categorized as fruit tea and depending on the blend of tea, the fruit can create an added tone of sweetness in the background. Black teas are more likely to have lavender or cherries mixed in with it because the bold flavor of the leaves pair well with the strong floral essence while green teas will be partnered with ginger or citrus.
Blend teas themselves are so varied and that is the beauty of it! There is rarely a situation where afternoon tea needs to be boring. With the growing interest in creating blends that push the boundaries (some afternoon blends have chocolate in them!), it gives room for even the pickiest of tea drinks to find the blend they are most satisfied with.