This morning I’m drinking Ten Ren’s 1st Grade Pouchong Tea and it must really have some health benefits, as I am quite sure I am merely slurping up some Taiwanese guy’s mowed lawn. Pouchong is from the northern reigon of Taiwan and falls right on the border of Green and Oolong Teas as far as oxidation is concerned. It has a very, um, earthy taste.
In other tea news I stopped by Tavalon on 14th St yesterday, only hours after reading an entertaining diss of the place is the Voice. Certainly a waaaay different vibe than my usual Ten Ren in Chinatown, but I think the Voice article is unfair. Why is a tea sommelier any more ridiculous than one for wine? That said, I wasn’t impressed with the tea. The free sample was a Chai that was so syrupy sweet it made me want to vomit. It tasted like a Chai-Slurpee. . .which, on paper, might sound like a good idea, actually, but, trust me, it was gross. I got a cup of a Japanese Green infused with some toasted rice (again, good idea on paper) but it, too, was kinda blech. The rice really overpowered it, it basically tasted like non-alcoholic sake. Which, again, may not be the worst thing in the world on paper, but what I wanted was a cup of green tea.
They had some other wild combinations on the menu (lots of lemongrass, I recall) so I’ll be willing to give them another shot next time I’m in the area.
