Jul. 22, 2007 - Tea Culture

Everyone here seems to carry around water bottles, but it is not so elsewhere!  In Number One Son's temporary home, every one carries around a bottle of green tea.  No, not like the plastic bottles of lipton green tea available at your local Wal-mart,  They think of that stuff the same way a good Southerner thinks of instant ice tea - maybe in a bomb shelter, or on a space walk, but please!   No, they carry a sports bottle or jug or just a jar from home with loose green tea leaves in the bottom and refill it with hot water all day as necessary.  All the water coolers (which are everywhere people live and work because even the locals don't drink tap water) have hot water, usually only.  They consider it unhealthy to drink cold drinks.

Green tea in the Orient is a whole 'nother animal than what we can get over here.  I always hated green tea before we went there - so bitter tasting.  Well, the lady at the tea plantation told us that what they sell in America is the old, stale floorsweepings :-)  because Americans can't tell the difference.  Well, I can!  Green tea in its natural habitat is a mild, gently-sweet beverage that is made from whole, fresh (prepared by a sort of dry-wok cooking) leaves and needs no sugar or anything else.  It is only brewed for a very short time and is very light and refreshing.

And then there's the special teas - what fun!  Number One Son took the picture above at a fancy tea shop in his travels.  They had all sorts of special and unique teas.  Number One Son described one made of dried flower buds that opened when you put them in hot water!  I love the flower tea my sister-in-law brought me from Asia!  Maybe we can share some one day!