I’ve wanted to do this violet tea comparison post for a long time and had it all mapped out in my head, down to the last detail. It was beautiful. The result, unfortunately, does not resemble that imaginary post very much.

First, the two tiny violets that I saw growing in our garden had stopped blooming by the time I wanted to pick them for the cover photo, so I had to make a symbolic violet out of some ribbon. Then I brewed the three teas and left them on the kitchen table, only to discover my daughter drinking from one of the cups. This would not have been that bad, but my (very measured!) reaction made her spit it all back to the cup… And when I wanted to photograph the otherwise pretty tea tins, I could not figure out a way to make them even remotely appealing.

So I’m afraid I’ll just have to talk about the teas. While almost all tea companies offer something citrusy or with jasmine, violet-flavoured teas are not very common, so I’ve been hunting all over for them. For the moment, I’ve got three – a black, a green and a an oolong.

1. Kusmi Violette is the one I discovered first. This is the black one (the darkest in the picture) and the most perfume-y of the three – it has an affinity with candied violets and the powdery facets of the flower. The flavour is quite strong, but well judged and not overpowering. If you are not a fan of flavoured teas, this one might be too much, however. I find it a lovely afternoon tea and usually drink it black, no sugar. But I have recently discovered that it can actually take a drop of milk, too.

2. Ladurée Thé a la Violette is an oolong, an interesting choice for a floral tea. It’s a bit tangy, slightly sweet and somehow green, too. I don’t have any proof, but I think this one is closest to the actual plant. As a tea, it’s my least favourite of the bunch. It’s not bad, but when Kusmi and Mariage Freres are tea specialists, Ladurée isn’t, and their macaroons are much better than their teas. It’s also too expensive for what it is, but it’s been interesting to try.

3. Mariage Freres Iskandar is my latest violet acquisition and also a part of my attempt to get a better overview of Mariage Freres teas. Iskandar is a very good quality green tea (the lightest on the picture) with a slight sweet floral flavour. As is often the case, the smell is sweeter and more floral than the actual tea, but there is enough of both in the final product to make it very easy to drink. I’m not sure I’d be able to tell it was violet-flavoured if I didn’t know beforehand: I think this one would work for most people who like floral teas, even if they are not looking for violet specifically.

If I’d have to choose, I’d probably go with Kusmi, as it’s the most unique of them. But fortunately, there is no legal limit to how many violet teas a person can own.