An Introduction to Bubble Tea (From Ten Ren)

On an average day as I walk through Downtown Berkeley seeing a shop proclaiming the existence of Bubble Tea is not an anomaly. This was not the case approximately thirteen years ago when I tried this tasty libation for the first time. At the time I was a wee youth making my way through elementary school, while my sister was an even wee-er youth. My mother had read about Bubble Tea in the food section of the San Francisco Chronicle and thus decided that we should sample this beverage. While on said journey she forgot the name of the thing we sought yet upon seeing a picture of bubble tea in the window of Ten Ren we knew that we had reached our destination. We then ordered a Honey Dew milk tea with Boba(tapioca balls). My mother and I were very satisfied but my sister was less so do to the fact that she was to small to have the suction nessacary to suck the Boba through the straw. In the months following we return to Ten Ren many a time. So much in fact that they began to recognize us. They even gave my sister a cup of just Boba on her birthday.

Now that Bubble Tea is a more wide spread fade, at least in Berkeley, over the next month or so I will visit at least five of the local bubble tea places as a means of providing better recommendations to people searching for a good Bubble Tea in the area. 

The image shown above is another one of my sister's creations, made to represent both of us at the time we first tried Bubble Tea.

Breakaway Matcha

Some time ago I came to the realization that most of the good matcha costs more than I usually like to spend on tea. Henceforth until very recently I only had a somewhat cheap matcha that I used primarily for baking. However to celebrate the occasion of my birth this year my aunt sent me a tin of Breakaway Matcha. I feel a bit tentative recommending this tea to others because I've realized that I try to recommend teas that are more affordable. As soon as I find a cheaper matcha of similar quality I'll be sure to alert you, gentle reader*, of its existence.

In order to prepare this matcha I first mix approximately a teaspoon with cold water in a mug. Then I mix in the matcha using either my milk frother or a very small whisk. Subsequently I fill the remaining space in the mug with hot water. At this point I occasionally sweeten it but Breakaway Matcha is equally magnificent unsweetened.

*gentle reader is currently my favorite salutation.

Northern Lights Tea (From Metropolitan Tea Company)

On of the best parts of having a tea blog (and talking about it in public at every opportune moment) is occasionally I am the lucky recipient of tea related gifts. This happened recently after a dear friend of mine went on a canadian adventure and returned with what she deemed "the most canadian gift." Whether Northern Lights Tea is really more canadian a gift than maple syrup in the shape of a moose that comes with free healthcare I'll let you, gentle reader, decide. Regardless Northern Lights proved to be a marvelous tea. It offers the solidness of a black tea with just enough embellishment to be simutanioisly caffeinate-ing and fun.