Members of the Ekuanitshit First Nation, a remote community 850 kilometres northeast of Quebec City, are in a desperate search for a discontinued blend of Salada tea they say they just can't live without.

About 700 Innu live in the tiny community on the province's Lower North Shore.

"We've been using it for decades. It's a favourite among Innu, particularly our elders," said Ekuanitshit Chief Jean-Charles Pietacho.

"All I can say is it's good. People like it. It's part of our history. Since our peoples' first contact with Europe, this is the tea we're used to."

Since our peoples' first contact with Europe, this is the tea we're used to. - Innu Chief Jean-Charles Pietacho

It's not just the taste that his people like.

"When we're out on the land hunting and fishing for a couple of months at a time, we boil this tea over the fire. The Salada tea bags are strong and they don't break," Pietacho said.

Coveted blend discontinued

Salada Tea has a long history in Canada. Montreal businessman Peter Larkin started selling the blend of black tea in 1892. He called it "Salada" after a Ceylon Tea Garden. The brand has been popular with Canadians for decades.

Salada no longer makes its "Prior Park" blend of tea. The particular blend that Pietacho is interested in is a black tea called "Salada Prior Park." According to an email Pietacho received from Salada's parent company Unilever, the blend was discontinued in March due to poor sales.

Unilever still sells orange pekoe and green tea under the Salada brand. But Pietacho says those simply won't do.

"People in my community don't like the new teas the orange pekoe and the green," he said.

Scouring store shelves in Montreal

Pietacho was in Montreal on other business on Monday, but he spent his entire morning scouring grocery and convenience store shelves across the city to see if they had any of the precious blend still in stock.

Innu Chief Jean Charles Pietacho was in Montreal Monday scouring store shelves for a discontinued blend of Salada tea. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) He came up empty-handed.

He says he'll now research to see if there's anywhere in the world that might have stockpiles of Prior Park.

In the email Pietacho received from Unilever, the company said it's open to working with him to find a solution.

Pietacho said he had spoken with Unilever officials on the phone and asked if the company might be willing to share the recipe for the Prior Park blend so that he could try making it himself.

He said the company refused for the moment, but that he would try asking again.