The culture of tea comes to South Africa

Posted on 18. Mar, 2009 by Shane in People & Places

Last night Sarah and I made our way to the launch of Origin Coffee’s new tea house – Nigiro.

Nigiro is simply ‘Origin’ spelt backwards and is a great representation of the synergy that the well established ‘coffee guys’ are hoping to achieve by having the two ‘opposites’ under one roof. Yin and yang, Origin is to coffee as Nigiro is to tea.

The Tea House is encapsulated in glass, away from the frenetic hustle of coffee on the go, steam and espressos. A tranquil environment is effectively established through the use of sound, scent and carefully placed lighting.

Mingwei Tsai, Nigiro’s tea connoisseur, poetically describes the ideal process: “The quality of tea is in its making. As tea leaves unfurl in the pot, they dance, unlocking their natural aroma and flavours. With the correct temperature and steeping time, tea manifests beautiful, natural notes that resonate with the dancing leaves. Wonderful company and the perfect setting complete the overall experience.”

Nigiro’s interior design is a fusion of Africa and Asia, from the colours, to the contoured wall, lighting, textured wood and floor finishings; as well as the authentic stone tea tray for traditional tea ceremonies. The back wall captures the idea of a tea plantation, guiding you into the land of tea, and ever further into the horizon. On this wall are handmade pots for the storage of tea leaves, made by two local potters. The selection of leaves is truly global – from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Argentina, Kenya, Germany, Malawi and South Africa.

Nigiro currently features over 80 varieties of the finest teas & blends, including white, green, oolong & black teas, as well as rooibos, herbal & fruit infusions. The experience encompasses all aspects of tea: from the desires of the passionate consumer in the High Mountain Tea Ceremonies to the professional needs of the café, restaurant, guest house and luxury hotel. In addition to its full range of teas & blends, a comprehensive range of accessories for home and professional use is available.

Check out the Nigiro website: www.nigirotea.co.za (When we last checked it wasn’t live yet)

In the meantime, have a look out our tea related products.

Shane Dryden is one of the big bosses here at Yuppiechef. In fact, it was his eye in which Yuppiechef was a mere glint just a few years ago. He's an avid chef and, obviously, kitchen tool fanatic. View more articles by Shane.

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