FOLLOWING THE TRADITION: Tea is being served with its associated ceremony at Victoria Tea Lounge. Right: THE RIGHT MIX: A hostess prepares Moroccan tea.
By Umer Nangiana
Victoria’ takes you back in time. Set amidst aesthetically done interiors, complimented by carefully selected lighting and exquisite way of service, Victoria Tea Lounge of Grand Heritage Doha Hotel opens a new chapter in savouring the beverage in all its traditional finery.
At the lounge, the first thing you get is a menu book, yes a book, containing complete information about 40 odd different types of teas on offer. Sit back, select the brew according to your mood and taste, place the order and leave the rest to the tea itself. A few sips later, the effect of unwinding is unmistakable.
Yes, such is the impact of the original teas made and served in all its authenticity. The variety of imported teas from France, Morocco, China, Sri Lanka … is staggering. Guests can choose between 40 different types of tea in addition to coffee and juices.
“We specialise in every tea that we offer on the menu. You will get information about every type and its benefits on the menu, making it easy for you to select,” Akram al-Atrash, the Food and Beverage Manager of Grand Heritage Doha, told Community over a cup of aromatic herbal tea at the lounge recently.
Take ‘Pu Er Imperial’ tea, for instance, if you are worried about weight gain and rising sugar level in your body. Made with a fine crop containing buds, the brew is known for its curative properties. This tea is said to lower cholesterol levels, burn fat and improve blood circulation.
If you are looking for rich and fruity aromas, ‘The Du Hammam’ is a popular choice, inspired by a Turkish recipe using green tea. For an authentic taste, do not add sugar to it. Served in a transparent plastic tea-pot, settled on a lamp, and small-sized simple yet elegant-looking cups, this golden-coloured aromatic tea is an instant soother.
For those in search of an exclusive product, the ‘Golden Yunnan’ tea is served to impress. Arriving directly from China and exceptionally harvested, this tea is a rare and luxurious product. These are just a few common ones from the big menu having varieties that serve different purposes such as energising the body, helping digestion and relieving stress.
“We serve our Moroccan tea with the complete ceremony associated with it and it is imported from Morocco itself. You would not find any of our teas from outside in the market. Here, we let our customers experience the tea,” said al-Atrash.
So you watch it being prepared right in front of your eyes and it is handled very delicately. Guests can also enjoy a variety of snacks such as sandwiches, fresh cakes and savouries. A large variety of international chocolates and desserts are also up for outside orders.
The decor of the Victoria Tea Lounge reflects extravagance and a fine taste of those availing the five star hotel’s royal services. The tea lounge considers itself as a perfect destination for breakfast or afternoon tea time, with friends, family or even business meetings.
“You can sit back, read a book and relax in this ambience of the lounge or you can have a chat with your friends and family while enjoying your favourite tea,” al-Atrash added while explaining the lounge was unique in its environment.
It indeed meets the expectations that its name raises in the beginning. The menu itself will take you back in time on a journey to the places from where the tradition of tea started.
It all began in 2737 BC in China. According to the legend, whilst the emperor Shen Nung was boiling water to slake his thirst in the shade of a tree, a light breeze rustled the branches and caused a few leaves to fall. They mixed with the water and gave it a delicate colour and perfume. The emperor tasted it and found it to be delicious. The tree was a wild tea plant: tea was born!
In India, another legend says Prince Dharma vowed to never sleep during the nine years of his spiritual journey. At the end of the third year, however, he was overcome by drowsiness and was about to fall asleep when by chance he plucked a few leaves from a wild tea plant and began to chew them. The stimulating qualities of tea immediately had its effect; Dharma felt more alert and thereafter attributed the strength he found to stay awake during the six remaining years of his apostolic mission to these leaves.
However, the Victoria Lounge’s own legend says that drinking tea was first developed by the Chinese, as the bush was originally from China. Since the invigorating and energising qualities of tea were very soon noted, it was at first used for medicinal purposes, either externally in the form of a paste to combat rheumatism or internally as a purifying soup.
The first recipes for the preparation of tea were not too far from this idea. The leaves, which had been softened by steam, were ground with a mortar and pestle and compressed into flat cakes which were then brought to the boil with rice, milk, spices and sometimes even onions.
At Victoria Lounge they would tell you all of these and other stories. You just need to step in, the rest is taken care of efficiently by the service.