January 11. 2001: Afternoon tea |
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| We have a very cold day with strong northern
window today. Each New Year, I make it a rule to plant kale. It is covered with frost this morning. |
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On a chilly day like this, it is best to
enjoy flavorful tea in the cozy room. Today, I will try to brew some kinds of Chinese tea I brought back from Hong Kong in the last Christmas season. |
| This is the jasmine tea sold by measure.
I got it in a teashop in downtown Hong Kong.
There are some white petals in the tea. I put it into a tea can my son bought for us in his first overseas business trip a couple of years ago. |
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This tea is the mixture of peony and jasmine
leaves with their petals. I was presented
it from Lillian's family when we were invited
to their home. They love the rare precious
tea very much and shared it to me as a souvenir.
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| The small ball of the tealeaves become string-like leaves when boiling water is poured in the tea pod. It releases so excellent flavor. | |
| Lillian's mother also gave me Ti Kuan Yin
of Chine Fukien Oolong Tea An Qi. She said that the tea was good to take after enjoying fatty dishes. The flavor is marvelous as well. |
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I bought this unusual tetra-packed tea. It is Lipton's "Innovative 3-D Triangular jasmine tea bag. The explanation reads "The bag allows more space for Whole-Piece-Tea-Leaves to blossom, giving out richer aroma and tea taste" compared with conventional flat bags. |
| Even packed, Earl Grey Tea tastes England all over. |  |
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Lipton's instant milk tea contains tea and
milk. Just pouring boiling water makes good
taste. It reminds me of aroma of milk tea I enjoyed in Hong Kong teashop. It is very good especially when I get tired. I should have bought back much more. |
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| Well, this is our rich teatime, anyway. I take milk tea, of course, and my husband enjoys Earl Grey Tea. | |