Finders Keepers recently caught up with Kuan creator of teas and Taste Kaleidoscope! Taking us on a flavour journey of nature’s botanical offerings through different cultures and time. From an early introduction to tea drinking and a lifetime of travel Kuan has created a inspiring business sharing the beauty of nature within every cup. Read on as Kaun share’s how “Every tea I created describes a taste journey that I travelled or memory I want to express”.
Discover Taste Kaleidoscope tea range at Finders Keepers Online Marketplace.
Tell us about your business and how it started?
Taste Kaleidoscope is a Tea House based in Sydney, NSW. I am the creator of the teas. I started drinking teas since I was 5 as I come from a family of tea drinkers (from Taiwan and a Japan). Later when I began working as a product developer in the corporate world, I noticed that there aren’t lot of options of teas that are pure without the use of flavouring enhancements sugars and extracts, so I started blending teas, as a hobby. When my family and friends started wanting more and more of my teas and tea blends, the tea house was born.
How did you start creating and making Taste Kaleidoscope and how has your business evolved over time?
Taste Kaleidoscope follows three rules. Absolutely no additives in the teas, including flavourings, colourings, sugars and extracts. Everything you taste in the teas must be from ingredients you can see. Also, the botanicals must be certified organic or foraged from undisturbed land, such as the Australian native bush foods we get from working with the local indigenous community. Lastly, all the ingredients are harvested from their indigenous source to reduce environmental impact.
Every tea I created describes a taste journey that I travelled or memory I want to express.
Every tea I created describes a taste journey that I travelled or memory I want to express. Having lived in many countries and cultures, including in Europe, Middle-East, Asia and Australia, I want the teas to represent those experiences. I also incorporate bygone or ancient recipes around the world to create tea that has a story and legacy, like the Spiced Tea range is journeys to different countries based on the Spice Trade. I hope these teas can connect people with different worlds by scent and taste.
What impact has 2020 had on your business and how have you changed your direction?
2020 has been quite tumultuous starting with the bushfires affecting the availability of a lot of our native ingredients, then the COVID-19 pandemic causing mass cancellation of markets and corporate events thus impacting on our sales as well as our chance to directly interact with consumers. In March we started to shift our strategy and started focusing on digital marketing and promotion. We hope that through our high quality and vast collection of teas, taster sample packs and our sunny disposition, we will be able to build a healthy group of tea loving followers.
What has been the ‘silver lining’ during this time?
I am grateful that I still have a studio that I can create and blend teas in. Because there is a lot more time now not spent on travelling, I can read even more books and research on old and ancient recipes of food and beverages in different cultures and times. Ideas are booming like stars in my head I just hope I have the chance to share them with people.
Ideas are booming like stars in my head I just hope I have the chance to share them with people.
Can you share with us your go-to teas?
My approach to my go-to teas are that of something old (ones people are familiar with) and something new (ones that WOWs people).
Teas I frequent from my pantry are:
Ceylon Black Tea – Maidin Breakfast – A strong black tea
Mints Lemongrass & Linden Flower a smooth mint tea for after meal
Flora Night – for relaxation
Green Tea Foremosa – My favourite green tea
Ginger Honeybush Tea – my fortifying tea
Australian Grey – a fancier Native Australian Earl Grey
and No.6 Campfire Chai – Native Roasted Chai.
