Valentine’s Day Gifts for People Who Actually Think About Them
One of Valentine’s Day’s many advantages hinges on its coronation of thoughtfulness as a noble pursuit. Yes, the holiday champions love over all, a sentiment we embrace. But this heralding of love involves much more than mere words. To truly sanctify love’s power, those experiencing its many warmths should demonstrate the depths and contours of their hearts with deeds.
People make cards, by hand, to give to loved ones. They bake special Valentine’s Day cakes and cookies—with chocolate, always, the dominant flavor. Restaurants get booked far in advance, florists thrill to mid-winter boost in sales and chocolatiers gear up for one of the busiest holidays of the year.
The rise of tea and Valentine’s Day
As tea retailers, we also exalt Valentine’s Day. Over the years, tea has grown increasingly popular as a gift for love’s holiday. This warms our souls—we hold tea awfully dear to our hearts.
But for those handing out gifts, tea isn’t normally as straightforward as a heart-shaped box filled with chocolate truffles. At Ku Cha House of Tea alone, we carry close to 250 varieties! And many of them come with complex histories and unique flavors.
Let us help! Read on for deep dives into five teas that we custom-blended for Valentine’s Day gifts. We invested creative energy and dreaming into crafting these blends—that is, we engaged with deep thoughtfulness! And by selecting these teas for your loved ones, you also are exercising thoughtfulness.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Teas: Whisper of Love Oolong
The gift of this sublime treat will stoke the heart of anybody on Valentine’s Day—it’s love distilled. For this gem, we lead with one of our favorite styles of traditional Camellia sinensis tea—oolong. The tea’s in-between oxidation levels—less than black, more than white and green teas—yields distinct complexity and expressiveness. Then come key floral notes—jasmine, heather and cornflower. To this we add fruity, sober apple and bright, sharp lemon. What a combination. And also—what a thoughtful gift!
Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Teas: Sweet & Tart Herbal Blend
This blend has so many components it verges on chai—but without the baking spices and the rest of chai’s hallmarks. It’s a marvel in a cup. The tea begins with rooibos, the South African shrub that, when brewed, turns into a healthy, delicious and caffeine-free tea. To this strong base comes blueberry, elderberry, hibiscus, cinnamon, orange peel, ginger (OK, it’s got one baking spice!), rosehip, rose, lavender and peppermint. Whew! We wouldn’t craft it any other way—each of the components adds flavor, health and pleasure to the sipping experience.
Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Teas: Sweet Heart Blend
Practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine have long tapped the herbs in this blend to aid digestion, refine internal balance and promote a healthy heart. Hear, hear! We celebrate all of these qualities—but we also revere the flavor the ingredients bring to the final brew. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts with this beauty. Hibiscus delivers vitamin C and bold red color. Peppermint brings sip, licorice shepherds anise-like snap and rosebud infuses the brew with perfume and familiar rose flavors. The blend also contains just a smidgen of stevia leaf—enough to sweeten just a little, without sugar. It’s made for Valentine’s Day! And one heck of a thoughtful gift for the people on your Feb. 14 list.
Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Teas: Strawberry Shortcake Black Tea Blend
We know proper strawberry season for much of the country doesn’t arrive until late spring and early summer. But we can’t help having strawberry dreams in winter—including on Valentine’s Day. The berries even look a little bit like heart, and their red color aligns precisely with the holiday’s color scheme. So we worked on this blend, combining bold black tea with strawberry pieces, pink peppercorn (more color vibing) and vanilla. Simple? You bet. Brewed ambrosia? Indeed. We adore this one during mornings and afternoons, often touched with a little honey and cream.
Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Teas: Rooibos Truffle
Chocolate, of course, figures largely in Valentine’s Day. The sweet treat enjoys its highest veneration during the holiday. Halloween might honor candy, including many that contain chocolate. But on Valentine’s Day, true chocolate craft bows in the spotlight. Rather than Hershey’s Kisses and Snicker’s bars, Valentine’s Day revolves around hazelnut cream-filled truffles, squares of exquisite single-origin chocolate and desserts like chocolate mousse and pot de crème.
With this in mind, we created our Rooibos Truffle blend. The tea, of course, rests on a foundation of rooibos—earthy and resonant, with herbal notes too. And then comes the double-cheek kiss: dark chocolate and coconut. These tropical ingredients complement each other with grace and elan—it’s no wonder the combination finds roots in desserts around the world.
Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope your loved ones cherish this custom blend as much as us!
