Kokova Magazine

It all began four hundred years ago, when East India Company ships journeyed back home across bright seas laden with culinary treasures to revolutionise our tastes and grace Christmas tables with the flavours of faraway lands.

Rich spices and indulgent sweetness combined to introduce British palates to epicurean influences that were destined to change our tastes forever.

The Company celebrates the myriad spices, sugars, teas, coffees and other wondrous flavours brought home to these shores by its ships with a range of evocative hampers resplendent with colour and remarkable flavour combinations.

This Christmas, embark on your own wonder-filled journey to impress and delight with these fabulous chests, hampers and gift boxes to suit every taste and budget.

Wonderland Hampers

The East India Company's wonderful selection of 'Taste' hampers bring each of the five tastes to life with a dazzling array of fine foods that will tantalise and surprise. Choose from Sweet, Tart, Salty, Spicy, or the undefinable experience of Umami. In an exquisite combination of these five tastes, Wonderland is the ultimate hamper and includes some of the most delectable tastes and flavour fusions that The Company has to offer.

Wonderland £750
For those looking for something just a little bit more extraordinary this Christmas, the EIC presents Wonderland, a beautiful trunk brimming with gastronomic treats. Black Peppercorn Biscuits will captivate the senses and Mustard & Coriander Biscuits promise the subtle hint of heat.

Caramel & Sea Salt Biscuits and Strawberry & Pepper Jam offer tastes transformed by remarkable connections and the exotic Persian Blue Salt excites with its flavour of faraway lands. Fig & Olive Savoury Marmalade, Mango Chutney, Lapsang Souchong Mustard and fiery Bulldog Mustard will enliven any table.

The subtle sweetness of the velvety chocolate encompassing Enrobed Macadamia Nuts, Enrobed Raspberries, the 'impossible to put down' Sea Salt Chocolate Bar and delightful Baroness Box of Truffles offer the sweetest of treats.

This stunning hamper also includes an eclectic assortment of teas from Bombay Chai and Assam Tea to British Peppermint and Jasmine Green Tea, a delicious Tiger of Mysore Coffee Caddy and two delicate East India Company Fine China mugs.

Temptation £90
This hamper offers a delightfully sweet treat, including: Chocolate Enrobed Pecans which are caramelised and coated with Gianduja before being enrobed in delectable milk chocolate, First Romance Tea which is infused with mango, strawberry and delicate flowers, and Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee that delights with a natural velvety sweetness.

Fresh, aromatic sprinklings of fennel & aniseed combine to create the intriguing Mukhwas Chocolate, and the luscious and curiously wonderful Fig & Olive Marmalade will reward the senses.

Tantalise £55
Ideal for those whose tastes are sharp like their wit, this hamper is resplendent with tangy Raspberry Jam, Lime Pickle bursting with fresh lime and ginger, and Custard Apple Green Tea which is light and fruity, combining the finest black tea and tropical custard apple with natural essential oils.

White Chocolate Enrobed Strawberries feature real strawberries freeze dried to seal their flavour and enrobed in white chocolate for the perfect combination of sweet and tart, and deliciously smooth Orange Marmalade Biscuits alongside zesty Enrobed Lemon Peel complete this wonderful selection.

Savour £45
Salt's remarkable ability to intensify all it encounters is celebrated in this hamper. Milk Chocolate Enrobed Salted Almonds combine rich, roasted almonds that have been lightly salted with cinnamon and dark chocolate. The deliciously contrasting flavours of sticky caramel and coarse sea salt are brought to life in the moist, buttery Sea Salt & Caramel Biscuits.

Flavoured with oregano, basil, rosemary and pimento, the Roman Mustard is wonderfully piquant and the delicate crispness of the Cheddar Cheese Filled Biscuits is based on a nineteenth century French recipe, and guarantees an addictive melt-in-the-mouth moment with each bite. The exotic Persian Blue Salt excites with its flavour of faraway lands and completes this delightful selection.

Adventure £45
For those with an adventurous spirit, look no further than this hamper full of vibrant and exotic spices. Each tantalising bite of the Mustard & Coriander Biscuits slowly develops from subtle spice to gentle heat whilst Bulldog Mustard daringly combines pimento and chilli with mustard to create an intense flavour with an extraordinary bite in its tail.

Cherry, Chocolate Chip & Chilli Biscuits harness the power of chilli to create a fabulously fiery take on the chocolate biscuit and Chocolate Enrobed Ginger zings with exotic tingles as the dark chocolate melts on your tongue, perfect with the warming spice of Bombay Chai.

Intrigue £75
Impossible to define but immensely satisfying, the Umami hamper is a perfect gift for those with a curious spirit. Admiral's Reserve Biscuits provide the perfect backdrop for any fine, robust cheese and the creamy Indian Spice Filled Biscuits are a surprising combination of French pastry skills and the finest Indian spices.

The floral and fruity yet buttery notes of the exceptional Li-Shan Oolong tea give it a rich and rounded finish. Teeming with the flavours of the Mediterranean, the smooth Green & Black Olive Savoury Marmalade comes together to create the perfect umami richness.

Classic Christmas Hampers

A range of traditional Christmas hampers and gift boxes is also available:

Taste of Christmas £200
Indulge your senses with traditional British flavours this Christmas, with unexpectedly delicate English Cheddar Biscuits and playful Twelve Spice Biscuits on which Plum, Walnut, Rum & Raisin Jam will sit resplendent.

A selection of irresistible condiments from Onion & Raisin Savoury Marmalade, Apple & Mint Chutney and Redcurrant & Port Jelly to aromatic Roman Mustard makes dazzling adornments for any table.

Lusciously sweet Chocolate Enrobed Hazelnuts, Chocolate Enrobed Cinnamon Salted Almonds, Chocolate Enrobed Raspberries and Chocolate Enrobed Ginger will keep any after dinner conversation captivating.

Aromatic Bombay Chai, fragrant Christmas Tea and soothing British Peppermint teas complete this magnificent hamper alongside a majestic Tiger of Mysore Coffee Tin and the East India Company’s very own books on the history of Tea, Chocolate, Coffee and Spices.

Director's Collection £200
Within an exquisite wooden box lie an array gourmet treats for all the senses. The Bombay Chai Tea Caddy, Directors Blend Tea Caddy and the Staunton Earl Grey Tea Caddy will offer wonderful refreshment to even the most wearied this Christmas.

The sweet delicacies of Butter Shortbread & Clotted Cream Biscuits, Seville Orange Marmalade Biscuits and the exquisite Chocolate Enrobed Pecans reward the taste buds whilst beautiful books on the origins of tea, coffee and spices will engage and excite the literary palate.

This sumptuous hamper will transcend the furore of Christmas with its luxurious experiences for the mind and senses.

Sweet Indulgence £100
The perfect gift for the ladies in your life, this hamper indulges the senses with enchanting sweetness and evocative aromas.

Moreish Caramel & Sea Salt Biscuits nestle with White Chocolate Enrobed Strawberries and Chocolate Enrobed Latte Beans. Luxurious Strawberry & Champagne Jam will complement the glorious Flowering Tea as a centrepiece to any afternoon gathering whilst vibrant Chilli Jelly warms the heart.

The subtly calming Chakra Bliss Herbal Infusion soothes the soul and the Chakra Bliss Candle calms the senses.

World Traveller £100
Journey from quintessential England and the orange groves of Seville, to the spice trail and the mysteries of the orient, with this treasure chest of remarkable flavours.

The subtle spice of Mustard & Coriander Biscuits, luscious Fig & Olive Savoury Marmalade and smoky Lapsang Souchong Mustard are wonderful additions to any savoury spread and the smoothness of sweet Seville Orange Marmalade Biscuits, tangy Milk Chocolate Enrobed Raspberries and the light but warming Nutmeg Milk Chocolate Bar will delight when paired with delicately spiced Bombay Chai or aromatic Red Dragon Coffee.

Floral Jasmine Pearls Tea, British Peppermint Tea and a Mini Jams Selection complete this delectable gift.

Time Stops for Tea £35
A classic delight with a twist, this hamper brings together the elements of a quintessential afternoon tea with The East India Company’s First Estate Assam Tea combined with artisan Butter Shortbread with Clotted Cream Biscuits, but adds a feisty Strawberry and Pepper Jam and delicious Strawberries Enrobed in
White Chocolate.

Eastern Dreams £25
This mouth-watering afternoon tea set brings together the spiced delights of India. The East India Company’s Governor Aungier’s Bombay Chai brews a decadent spiced tea, and the sweet and aromatic taste sensation of the Mukhwas Dark Chocolate comes from a sprinkle of fennel and aniseed on the dark chocolate.

Rich Mango Chutney with a twist of black onion seed & apple and the delicately addictive Thin-Filled Cheese Biscuits made with Indian Spices complete this Eastern Dream.

Staunton Tea Set £20
The East India Company’s The Staunton Earl Grey uses both Bergamot and Neroli oils faithful to the original orange blossom flowers used in early Chinese recipes. This full-bodied and fragrant tea is truly one for those who enjoy an authentic Earl Grey experience. The tea is paired with tempting Caramel and Sea Salt Biscuits to create an enticing gift.

All hampers will be launched in the flagship East India Company store on Conduit Street or can be bought online via www.eicfinefoods.com