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If you're a regular reader of this tea blog, the past month's posts have taken you to Spain, Hawaii, Britain, and my grandparents' dining room table. Next up: Israel.
I spent several months living and traveling in Israel last year. and I came home hooked on Middle Eastern favorites like just-baked pita, falafel (deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas, usually served
with hummus), and halvah (a melt-in-your-mouth sesame candy). But if there's one thing that can transport me to that foreign place in the blink of an eye, it's the tea that I drank almost daily: Rooibos with cinnamon and vanilla.
This tea blend is not a notably Israeli one, nor is it particularly popular (as far as I know). I saw it on a shelf, tried it, and got hooked. It's created a quirky memory highway which I consider wholly mine - there just can't be many other people who also happen to associate this unassuming tea with this ancient, beautiful, and long-disputed land.
When I small this tea, I instinctively breathe it in deeply, slowly. My shoulders relax. When I sip it, I smile. This tea is unhurried. It doesn't conjure up hammocks and palm trees specifically, but it clearly brings me to the mellow mindset of a lazy, blue-skied afternoon.
Israelis, if you're wondering, usually drink stronger stuff, like mud-thick Turkish coffee. And the tea drinkers are crazy about black tea with mint - which is available bagged, but is best if you grab a fresh "nana" (mint) sprig or two for your mug. (Now there's a delicious idea I'm suddenly itching to revisit...)
When I arrived in Israel, my carry-on contained a small bag of can't-travel-without-'em teas (my longtime favorites). When I left, it was with a soothing new go-to. This magical tea is every bit as sweet as the memories I made while I was away.
I'm not proud to admit it, but though I consider myself a tea lover, I've never been a fan of green tea. I'd love to get a dose of green tea's healthy antioxidants, like the EGCG I profiled in a previous post, which can fend off cancer and Alzheimer's. I like green vegetables, green lights, and the green movement to save our beautiful planet - and yet, somehow, green tea left me cold.
I recently received, as a gift, a small tin of green tea flavored with pomegranate and hibiscus. Honestly, pomegranate is another so-called superfood that has just never thrilled my taste buds. And while two wrongs don't make a right, today I learned that two flavors I don't particularly like can combine to create a beverage I truly enjoy.
Yes, I brewed a cup of pomegranate tea. I was first charmed by its pleasant pink color, then by its gently fruity and tropical sweetness. (Full disclosure: I added sugar.) It may never be my go-to tea, but it's another pleasant afternoon infusion to add to my tasty arsenal. I wish that every time I tried something new it went this well! When was the last time you tried a new tea?
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When a cowboy sidles up to a bar, he seldom orders a bubblegum-pink martini. Cinderella probably didn't chug beers at the prince's ball. Why not? Because many people believe that what you choose to drink says something about you. So what's your tea saying?
Truth is, I don't know. There's something oddly open-ended about a cup of tea, which can really suit anyone from sweet elderly folks to high-powered CEOs, from kiddos in shiny dress shoes to dirt-smeared laborers - and from john Wayne to a Disney princess. Though all true teas (but not tisanes) come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis), different leaf treatments and handling yield brews that range from the Zen of a fine green tea like Jasmine Pearls to the imagined classicism of Vanilla Creme Earl Grey.
Tea may almost act as a liquid Rorschach test, where nobody but the drinker knows its true meaning. A steaming cup of Organic Darjeeling may get you revved up in the morning, or it might be a warm wind-down to your day. You may indulge in Pistachio Gelato for dessert... or for breakfast. Fruity blends may strike your palate as old-fashioned flavors or as innovative creations.
Today the rain is pouring down, and I'm seeking comfort (plus a little caffeine boost) from a mug of English breakfast. It's a pretty traditional choice, which may speak to me love of routine. what are you drinking - and what do you think it says about you?
You probably think you've never heard of epigallocatechin gallate, but you have heard everyone from your hairdresser to your favorite celebs to the experts at the Mayo Clinic raving about the practically-magical EGCG. What is it, what will it do for you, and where can you get some?
EGCG is a good-for-you antioxidant found in green tea. It's been shown to aid with weight loss thanks to its appetite-suppressing qualities. (It does this by upping levels of CKK, a hormone that makes you feel full - thanks, Julie Daniluk, RNC, via Dr. Oz.) A blog all about the health benefits of green tea claims that EGCG can nearly double the rate of your metabolism, so you'll naturally burn more calories. Other health benefits include reduction in leukemia cell counts (Mayo Clinic research) and promising findings on prevention of Alzheimer's, treatment of diabetes, heart health, and more.
EGCG (or green tea extract) is available in a concentrated liquid, as a powder, and in pill form. However, sipping a soothing cup of green tea is easily the tastiest way to get your EGCG fix. I couldn't dig up any information on whether you can get too much of this good thing, but be careful with supplement dosages. Score one more for brewing up the tea: even if you're inclined to down several mugfuls a day, you won't risk ODing on your EGCG. Raise a mug to your health!
Tastes and smells have the power to transport us to other times and places. Maybe the smell of the ocean brings you back to childhood vacations, the scent of pine trees conjures up Christmas, or one bite of a melted s'more has you looking for the nearest sleeping bag to snuggle up in. Of course, tea can do this for us too, and your trip down memory lane is as easy as boiling a pot of water.
One place I can easily transport myself is to my grandparents' table. All it takes is a cup of decaf tea. It has a calming familiarity, and suddenly I'm perched in that bright dining room, feet not quite reaching the floor, dumping spoon after spoon of sugar into my after-lunch mug.
I am now the proud owner of several of Grandma's dainty teacups, which I never even saw as a child. Someday I'll have a house with some display space in which to show them off. For now, I enjoy using Grandma's creamer and sugar bowl - especially that sugar bowl. I still like my tea sweeter than Grandma likes hers, and I definitely let mine steep longer than she does. (Family joke: some relatives just "wave the bag over" their hot water. You know who you are!) In honor of Grandma's birthday, I'm thinking of her, and looking forward to sharing a cup of tea with her again soon. And seeing where it takes us.
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