Wonderful World of Tea

Tea and scones in Kusatsu

I love coffee as much as I love tea. It's hard to believe that I love both near equally but I when I usually go to cafes, I tend to choose tea over coffee.

My first experience at a Tea Room was when my sister brought my mother and I to Lovejoy's Tea Room, in San Francisco. That's where I experienced High Tea for the first time.

In Japan, it's common to go to cafes to drink tea. Japanese people love tea so they have many tea houses that have become mainstream. One being Afternoon Tea which I see more of in Kanto (Tokyo and Yokohama) and Lipton Tea House which mainly exists in Kansai (Kyoto and Osaka). They serve so many different teas so I try as many blends as possible. I always end up choosing black over green tea.

Then I met a friend who loves tea. I guess he has schooled me in the ways of making tea properly and would slap me with a tea cozy if I didn't boil water from a kettle. And just so you know, he's British so it'd be a proper slap in the face!

Recently, I've been craving Masala Chai. It actually looks difficult and whenever I have a cup, I'm only disappointed because the Chai ends up being very weak. Japanese people in general aren't used to spices, so spices are often watered down. I've been hunting for a Masala Chai recipe on the internet in hopes of having a decent cup of Chai but I'm not sure if I can find cardamom seeds or cloves at my local grocery store.

Well, when ever I finally make a decent cup of Chai, I'll post the outcome. If that turns out well, maybe I'll attempt to make Moroccan Mint Tea! But for now, research will have to do.

Thought of the day: Tea or coffee?

-P. Bear