Princess Diana's Favorite Tea Had A Delicious Floral Twist

Having been born and raised on Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England, then spending the rest of her short life living in London, Princess Diana was undoubtedly familiar with the importance of tea in her home country. In fact, here's how much the Brits actually drink. Surely, many social engagements revolved around the ritual of afternoon tea, as they often do among the British nobility, and she once even invited supermodel Cindy Crawford to Kensington Palace for tea. Indeed, the practice of high tea is so lovely, you should embrace it, too. Surprisingly, Diana actually preferred coffee over tea, and instant was her top choice. 

But when the People's Princess enjoyed a hot cuppa, she didn't go for Queen Elizabeth's choice of Earl Grey, or King Charles' preference of Darjeeling. Diana liked Rose Pouchong which, as you might guess, is made with dried rose petals. Known for its delicate floral aroma and hint of rosy color, Rose Pouchong is considered a black tea that tastes best without cream or sugar. This isn't surprising considering she also drank her coffee black, without any extra flavorings or sweeteners. 

Like all teas, Rose Pouchong's leaves come from the Camellia sinensis plant. The tea leaves are naturally green and get their color and flavor profiles by the way they are processed after harvesting. So, white, green, and black teas all essentially come from the same place. To make black tea, the leaves are fully oxidized before they are dried. In comparison, green tea is made from tea leaves that are not oxidized at all so that it remains green.  

For Rose Pouchong tea, fragrant rose petals are left to dry along with the tea leaves so that the tea absorbs the flavor from the petals. While the tea shouldn't taste like perfume, the floral taste of rose should be apparent. Some classic flavor pairings with rose include cardamom, pistachio (the main ingredient in pistachio cream), vanilla, strawberries, and honey. So, any dish or dessert featuring these ingredients would be delicious with Rose Pouchong tea.

Even though tea may not have been Diana's favorite pick me up, her brew choice was certainly appropriate for the beautiful spirit she was. Even Sir Elton John famously referred to her as "England's rose" while singing an updated version of "Candle in the Wind" at her funeral.