Smuggling tea

Liptons is one of those curious brands which seems the world over to be considered quintessentially English but is rarely drunk in the UK.  This stalwart of global tea & coffee making facilities has always left me rather indifferent to its charms, until I chanced upon Lipton Saveurs du Soir Grand Sud which led me to become so obsessed that I was very nearly arrested trying to return to the UK because of it.

The French website elucidates its charms thus:

"Lipton Saveurs du Soir Grand Sud se différencie des infusions traditionnelles par son goût mystérieux, persistant et original, un goût du sud, né du mélange de la menthe et de la force de la réglisse. Dégustez cette infusion fait voyager !"

Be that as it may, my main experience was neither mysterious, nor something that fairly compared to travelling the world.  Instead it was a rather sweet minty liquorice taste. But hey it makes a nice cuppa.

However, although you find it stacked high in Monoprix, I've never found it for love nor money in London.  As a result, where others bring back bottles of fine wine or single estate olive oil, it was twenty boxes of Saveur du Soir which I stuffed into my suitcase when last travelling back from France on the Eurostar. 

Unfortunately, in my enthusiasm, I failed to consider how 20 boxes of carefully packed herbal extraction may appear to the suspicious minded.  Sure enough, as our bags passed through the x ray machine we were duly hauled out and our bags checked by a humourless customs officer in latex gloves. Fortunately, it was just the tea and on this occasion at least we were allowed to pass on our way with my precious supply of cheap French teabags.

Saveurs du Soir, in pride of place next to the garlic