Food and Beverage

[Geordie]

Do you really take time off and enjoy the food and beverage you take?

I really like strawberries because they're sweet, potatoes because they're filling (but hopefully they're peeled) and rice milk because it's really creamy.

What's your favorite food?

 

[kasmanaft08]

I have a huge appreciation for really good food, and a good cup of coffee (or tea, depending on where I am).

As far as sitting down and really enjoying it, coffee probably tops it. I like the idea of zoning out in different places, people watching or reading...except eating is still uncomfortable for me in public.By the time I eat something in public, it's because I'm really hungry and there's no savoring anything then.

Coffee, however, is perfect.

ps: what's rice milk? That sounds kind of interesting.

 

[juffur]

I love tea. Green tea being my favorite, but I also enjoy Earl Grey and some chai mixes. Lately I've been drinking Sencha Green Tea (Japanese).

Reading a book while drinking tea is lovely.

 

[kasmanaft08]

I love tea. Green tea being my favorite, but I also enjoy Earl Grey and some chai mixes. Lately I've been drinking Sencha Green Tea (Japanese).

Reading a book while drinking tea is lovely.

Have you had matcha? I love that stuff, but it's so hard to find (at a reasonable price). I mix a few scoops in with cold milk, ice and a hint of sweetner. It ends up tasting like a healthy green tea ice cream.

But I forgot about chai! That's really good also. It's sort of hit and miss when you go out and buy it, though. A lot of coffee places, I've learned, use a condensed powder- it ends up way too sweet and synthetic tasting.

 

[. . .]

I love tea. Green tea being my favorite, but I also enjoy Earl Grey and some chai mixes. Lately I've been drinking Sencha Green Tea (Japanese).

Reading a book while drinking tea is lovely.

I also like Sencha a lot. However, I usually drink the vastly inferior cheap Chinese greens most of the time because it costs hardly anything, is better than water and I like the health benefits. I like having a hot beverage beside me all the time.

Someday, when I have more money to spare, I'll probably always keep a good supply of high-quality Sencha around.

I also like Darjeeling tea a lot. Last year I decided to get a large quantity of Arya Ruby which is considered to be one of the finest (and rarest) teas in the world. It cost me an arm and leg, but it was worth it. And it lasted me a long time anyway (about a month, which is a hella long time for tea to last me considering that I drink, on average, about 1.5 to 2 liters of it everyday!).

Arya Estate (arya is the Sanskrit word for ?noble? or ?best?) is a relatively small tea garden located close to the town of Darjeeling. The estate cultivates tea at elevations ranging from 900 to more than 1800(!)m, making it one of the highest tea gardens in Darjeeling. An extremely steep and narrow access road give it the feeling of a remote destination, despite its proximity to Darjeeling town.
The tea garden has a long tradition dating back to the eighteenth century when a group of Buddhist monks established the garden. Arya is a fully certified organic tea garden and strongly committed to environmental sustainability (the estate boasts the first private hydro-power scheme in Asia!).

Being a small and organic tea garden, Arya?s focus has always been on producing artisan teas of exceptional quality. While the garden produces a range of outstanding specialty teas like pearl white tea (similar to the Chinese Dragon Pearls) and Darjeeling Oolong, no other tea represents Arya?s special status better than their flagship product - Arya Ruby.

Scarcity + Quality = Legend

The production of Arya Ruby is extremely limited. In fact, this year?s first flush production amounted to only 200kg (we were lucky enough to secure 2kg for our shop)! As Seth Godin pointed out in a post yesterday, scarcity can have a big effect on the desirability of a product. I think in the world of tea (and wine or whiskey, for example), the rarity of a product like Arya Ruby makes it legendary and adds a level of mystery. The fact that you are most likely unable to purchase Arya Ruby - even if you are willing to spend a lot of money on it (most shops have sold out of it already) - increases its legendary status.
But does the tea live up to its promise? You bet! I am pretty sure that it will exceed the expectations of most people. It has a uniqueness about it, an unusual and pronounced character that sets it apart from other teas of this region.

 

[Geordie]

Rice milk is a sort of drink that is extracted from rice - technically, it's a rice-made drink but it tastes a little like milk, without the animal smell

 

[kasmanaft08]

@ Aillas and juffur :

Some sites that have more options for Japanese tea, in case you guys get really into it:

https://www.itoen.com/loose-leaf-tea.html


Asian Tea Leaves | AsianFoodGrocer.com, Shirataki Noodles, Miso Soup

 

[Geordie]

Oh I also like matcha and different sorts of green tea - they all smell so nice and sweet

 

[kasmanaft08]

Rice milk is a sort of drink that is extracted from rice - technically, it's a rice-made drink but it tastes a little like milk, without the animal smell

I'll have to try that if I ever come across it.
I tried almond milk once in a latte, and it was pretty good. Kind of like a slightly richer soy milk.
Soy milk is also good, but I like it when it's flavored- vanilla or green tea is best in my opinion.

 

[Geordie]

I'll have to try that if I ever come across it.
I tried almond milk once in a latte, and it was pretty good. Kind of like a slightly richer soy milk.
Soy milk is also good, but I like it when it's flavored- vanilla or green tea is best in my opinion.

Green tea soy milk? Oh that's cool and tastes great

 

[CJinherPJs]

While we're on the subject of food and beverages, I've developed a craving for strawberry jam all of a sudden. I personally find it quite strange because I hadn't had jam for weeks, perhaps even months, until yesterday evening when I had white bread with strawberry jam on it.

 

[Geordie]

I also like everything with strawberries...

 

[Droopy]

I love strawberries also but haven't had one in quite some time.

 

[Geordie]

Don't be too envious of me, I had strawberry shortcake last Sunday, hehe

 

[Droopy]

Well that does it. Tomorrow I shall make sure I have something strawberry related. I have gone without strawberries for too long! :lol2:

 

[Geordie]

Oh that's great, they remind me of Strawberry Fields Strawberry Fields Forever!