Tea from Place of Origin

A couple of weeks ago, I received a message from a fellow blogger asking me if I would like to sample products from www.PlaceofOrigin.in and write about them.



It took about 2 weeks for my parcel to reach me. A small, sturdy cardboard box with Chamong printed all over the sticky tape and no indication if it was sent by Place of Origin. Inside was a box of Chamong Organic Darjeeling Green Tea sachets.

There was also a sleeve with a sachet each of Tulsi green tea and Lemon Splash, a flavoured green tea. All the tea bags are packed in individual foil-lined envelopes. Instructions to brew the perfect cup of tea are printed on the back of each packet. The manufacturing date is March 2016.

The packaging was perfect, not even a crease on the tea box. When brewed, the tea is golden coloured and slightly opaque. I liked the mild flavour and it's a refreshing drink. And I love my green tea with no additives and the convenience of using a tea bag.



A few days later, a second box landed up. This time, "Place of Origin" was printed across the box. This box too held a packet of tea which arrived in perfect condition.

This pack was from Bohag, an organic green tea company from Assam. Shipped from Guwahati, the label stated it is a weight loss tea though there was nothing to substantiate the claim (everyone knows the benefits of green tea). Packed in a plastic-lined zip-lock pouch, there was a little window at the back which showed really long tea leaves. The organic certification number was printed on the pack and the manufacturing date is June 2016.

Once again, the brewing method was printed on the back. Since the leaves are loose and long, it's quite difficult to measure out a teaspoon. The resultant liquor is a pale gold in colour and clear. It had very little flavour, infusing it for 2 minutes resulted in an over-brewed tea with slight tannic notes.

A little online reading revealed that the company, which describes itself as a "marketplace for speciality food" puts products from a geographical location in the hands of the end customer who could be located anywhere in India. For example, if you are at Chennai and have been craving chocolates from Ooty or Cherry Swiss cookies from Flurry's, Kolkata, all you need to do is go to the website and order it. There are options for vegetarians, those with gluten intolerance or nut allergies. There are also a whole lot of products called "Ramadan Foods". Just type in your pin code and you will know if delivery to your location is available. You can also find out the costs involved and how long it will take your parcel to reach you. Payment has to be made in advance and if you order stuff from 3 different places, you might receive them as 3 different shipments perhaps on the same day!

The next time you long to have authentic sweet mango pickle from Gujarat or some delicious soan papdi from Jammu, do go on to Place of Origin's website and place your order.