There is an art and science to Bangladesh’s seven-layer tea, and a rainbow of reasons to taste this local specialty.

Boba tea comes from Taiwan. Teh tarik is Malaysia’s pride. And noon chai is a Kashmiri staple. In Bangladesh, there’s a seven-layer tea that seems to defy gravity.

Invented by Romesh Ram Gour in the early 2000s, the tea comprises seven flavours: black tea, green tea, lemon tea, spiced tea, milk tea, honey tea and a roasted or smoky tea. Each tea is brewed separately then, from the densest to the lightest, poured carefully over the back of a spoon to create layers. Once sipped, the layers merge to create a whole new taste sensation.

It’s a popular drink in the Sylhet region, one that has also become emblematic of Bangladeshi tea due to its social media shareability, even though the area is known for its tea plantations dating back to the British East India Company’s foray there. Bangladesh is the ninth largest producer of tea in the world.

Though plenty of vendors serve it, you can still visit Gour in his original shop, Nilkantha Tea Cabin.