The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters 842: Adventures in Tea with Henrietta Lovell and Flavor Forward with Nik Sharma
Jan 30, 2026
Henrietta Lovell, founder of the Rare Tea Company who hunts fine teas worldwide, and Nik Sharma, food scientist and cookbook author who decodes flavor. They tour tea terroir, tasting complexity, and a cold-brew iced tea tip. Then Nik breaks down flavor-forward techniques like tandoori salmon, a baking-soda brine hack, lemon-braised chicken, and a quick romesco to elevate simple dishes.
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China Trip That Changed Everything
- Henrietta Lovell discovered exceptional whole-leaf teas while working in China and was deeply transformed by the flavors.
- That trip launched her lifelong work sourcing and celebrating crafted teas from small farmers.
Tea's Complexity Mirrors Wine
- Tea's flavor range rivals wine because a single plant yields many styles through terroir and processing.
- Varietal, soil, elevation, season and oxidation create dramatic flavor differences across teas.
Cloud Tea From Meghalaya
- Henrietta served a 'cloud tea' made by Nayan Lunibad, a female tea maker in Meghalaya, India, noting its chocolatey, floral character.
- She highlighted that buying such teas costs only a few cents more per cup yet greatly benefits communities.
