It might be a coffee festival but we also like a nice cup of tea. 

We speak to Emidio Da Silva from Da Silva Beans & Leafs who understands both coffee and tea.

What are the main factors that affect the flavours of tea?
 

You can easily compare high quality tea with high quality wine: the country, region, altitude, the soil and the preparation all influence the final flavours in the cup. It’s the craftsmanship and knowledge of the tea plantations that assures the quality of the teas we buy, but most importantly is the purity of the water you use to brew the perfect cup of tea.

How can someone learn to taste all of the flavours in tea?
 

Just do it in the same way as tasting wine or coffee and you will see that a lot of the flavours like fruit, tobacco, wood etc. are the same as in wine or coffee. But taste as often as you can and your taste will develop over time.

How do you make the perfect cup of tea?
 

Some people turn tea making into a science (just like with coffee), but to me the most important step is the right water to brew your tea. Take the time (recommended on the package) as a guideline and experiment to see what suits you best - with each steep you will discover new tastes in your cup.

What are the new trends in tea?
 

That’s a good one for a product with such a tremendous history! For me it’s that I am finally seeing more and more people taking tea seriously by focussing on high quality loose leaf tea. The next step will be to take tea brewing as seriously as we do coffee. With our DaSilva Leaftender tea machine we take it one step further by serving a perfect cup of tea in 22 seconds at the push of a button.

Do you think people can appreciate tea and coffee equally? 
 

Both are little wonders of nature, with their unique flavours and aromas. Simply enjoy it and, with both having enormous varieties in brewing and tastes, you will always find your perfect cup at any time of the year. 

You say “Make the most of your everyday coffee” – how can people do this?
 

Simply by buying high quality coffee, brewing it in your favourite way and enjoying every sip at every moment of the day. It’s like life, you just have to make the most of it!

Da Silva Beans & Leafs will be at the festival with their fresh roasted coffee and fresh loose leaf tea.