Tea@ asian market.. give me your best
August 31, 2011 7:50 PM Subscribe
Large asian food market, korean to be specific but carry japanese and chinese items too.
Give me your tea choices and brands that I should try.
I love roasted barley tea and roasted corn tea. Barley is especially good iced. Can't recommend a brand, though.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 9:13 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 9:13 PM on August 31, 2011
Best answer: sorry, no recommendations for brands--
jarred syrup/jam-based teas: one tablespoon of jam-like syrup to a cup of hot water. the good brands are packed with a lot of sliced fruit or peel. sometimes it settles a little bit, so give it a stir before making the tea. sold next to each other. both are quite sweet and fragrant, and are just the thing for a cold/flu.
daechu-cha (korean date tea/jujube tea)- ay, i don't know how to describe the taste. it tastes really rich and dense, like the texture of a sticky fig just picked from the tree.
yuja-cha (korean citron tea)- this is my favorite of the two, has a bitter taste kind of similar to marmalade. i actually use it as a spread for toast too in a pinch.
loose "leaf" teas/tea bags: both are sold in tea bags, but it's cheaper and really simple to steep yourself. convenient to have a big icy pitcher in the fridge for hot days. both are good served hot as well. often served gratis at korean restaurants. faintly sweet and toasty.
oksusu-cha (roasted corn tea)- the roasted corn is sold flat in plastic bags, in the grain aisle (lots of millet, wild rice, brown sweet rice, dried bean mixes, etc). recipe.
bori-cha (roasted barley tea)
ready made teas: sold in the bottled or canned beverage section, to be served chilled. the bottles are usually hanging out above the frozen fish and ice creams..
oksusu-sooyeum-cha (corn silk tea)- kind of similar to bori-cha, but i find it's naturally more sweet. really refreshing and tasty without any added sugar.
sikhye (sweet barley malt rice tea)- if you've been to a korean restaurant, this is that delicious cold thing they bring out at the end of the meal. has a bit of rice on the bottom, so give it some good shakes as you drink to keep things circulating.
sujeonggwa (persimmon/cinnamon/ginger tea)- mm, kinda spicy, but cold and refreshing at the same time. float some pine nuts on top and feel fancy.
weekend project:
sikhye recipe, requires rice cooker. malted barley should be in the same aisle as the roasted corn, or in the aisle with the rice flour and ground perilla seed.
posted by ilk at 9:18 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
jarred syrup/jam-based teas: one tablespoon of jam-like syrup to a cup of hot water. the good brands are packed with a lot of sliced fruit or peel. sometimes it settles a little bit, so give it a stir before making the tea. sold next to each other. both are quite sweet and fragrant, and are just the thing for a cold/flu.
daechu-cha (korean date tea/jujube tea)- ay, i don't know how to describe the taste. it tastes really rich and dense, like the texture of a sticky fig just picked from the tree.
yuja-cha (korean citron tea)- this is my favorite of the two, has a bitter taste kind of similar to marmalade. i actually use it as a spread for toast too in a pinch.
loose "leaf" teas/tea bags: both are sold in tea bags, but it's cheaper and really simple to steep yourself. convenient to have a big icy pitcher in the fridge for hot days. both are good served hot as well. often served gratis at korean restaurants. faintly sweet and toasty.
oksusu-cha (roasted corn tea)- the roasted corn is sold flat in plastic bags, in the grain aisle (lots of millet, wild rice, brown sweet rice, dried bean mixes, etc). recipe.
bori-cha (roasted barley tea)
ready made teas: sold in the bottled or canned beverage section, to be served chilled. the bottles are usually hanging out above the frozen fish and ice creams..
oksusu-sooyeum-cha (corn silk tea)- kind of similar to bori-cha, but i find it's naturally more sweet. really refreshing and tasty without any added sugar.
sikhye (sweet barley malt rice tea)- if you've been to a korean restaurant, this is that delicious cold thing they bring out at the end of the meal. has a bit of rice on the bottom, so give it some good shakes as you drink to keep things circulating.
sujeonggwa (persimmon/cinnamon/ginger tea)- mm, kinda spicy, but cold and refreshing at the same time. float some pine nuts on top and feel fancy.
weekend project:
sikhye recipe, requires rice cooker. malted barley should be in the same aisle as the roasted corn, or in the aisle with the rice flour and ground perilla seed.
posted by ilk at 9:18 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
another weekend project: sujeonggwa recipe.
should note that sikhye and sujeonggwa can be served hot or warm as well. i happen to like sikhye cold, and sujeonggwa hot. if you make the shikhye and want to drink it hot, don't serve immediately upon finishing. it needs to fully cool down to let everything steep and develop.
another note! teas above are korean.
posted by ilk at 9:25 PM on August 31, 2011
should note that sikhye and sujeonggwa can be served hot or warm as well. i happen to like sikhye cold, and sujeonggwa hot. if you make the shikhye and want to drink it hot, don't serve immediately upon finishing. it needs to fully cool down to let everything steep and develop.
another note! teas above are korean.
posted by ilk at 9:25 PM on August 31, 2011
When I could not order from my usual sources (Den's Tea, Zencha, Yuuki-cha), I tried out this supermarket sencha brand, Uji No Tsuyu, and found it rather nice. Have a care not to plunge it into boiling water though, as that seems to bring out a rather strong seaweedy flavor. I ease it into (what I think is) 85-90 degrees C water. It has been my daily cup in the morning lately.
posted by pimli at 6:38 AM on September 1, 2011
posted by pimli at 6:38 AM on September 1, 2011
I've liked the Japanese soba tea--buckwheat "grains" (I guess). Very mellow and soothing, particularly if you have an upset stomach. I think I originally had Ito-En, and it was great. I ran out, and bought the first replacement I could after months of searching, but it's not as good. YMMV. (Sorry, I can't read the brand name on the one I don't like; it's in Japanese). I also like genmaicha, which is green tea with roasted rice. Pretty much every brand I've tried is comparable.
Lastly, I like the Korean black bean teas--again, very mellow and warming. No caffeine (or in the sobacha), if that matters to you.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:06 AM on September 1, 2011
Lastly, I like the Korean black bean teas--again, very mellow and warming. No caffeine (or in the sobacha), if that matters to you.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:06 AM on September 1, 2011
Oh I just remembered. I don't know if you have it in your place but you know what is awesome? Instant chrysanthemum tea. It comes in granules and already has sugar in the mix. Not for purists, but I love bringing it to drink at work. My packet says You How Brand.
Also instant packets of Luo Han Guo. Mine says Fulong Brand. It's in a blue foil packet with a laughing buddha on it and a bunch of the fruits that look like Maltesers. I suppose you can also just get the fruits and make the drink yourself.
Not sure if you can find these in a Korean supermarket but worth a shot.
posted by pimli at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2011
Also instant packets of Luo Han Guo. Mine says Fulong Brand. It's in a blue foil packet with a laughing buddha on it and a bunch of the fruits that look like Maltesers. I suppose you can also just get the fruits and make the drink yourself.
Not sure if you can find these in a Korean supermarket but worth a shot.
posted by pimli at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2011
I feel like yulmu cha doesn't get enough love compared to yooja cha (which always tasted like dissolved Joy to me) outside of Korea and people are missing out. It's Job's Tears tea, but also comes with powdered/crushed nuts in it, and makes for this super tasty, full cereal-flavored hearty tea that has more of a hot chocolate mouth-feel to it than a regular tea.
My other personal favorite is maeshil (this plum or apricot type fruit) cha. But I don't know what the situation is at your supermarket and the flavor of this one depends HIGHLY on the quality of the product you're working with.
The stuff at stores is OK (sometimes powdered, but usually liquid form already in a jar that you add hot water too). But to be super honest, the bestest maeshil cha is made with a base of liquid juice/concentrate that someone's grandma makes by fermenting a bunch of green plums/apricots (links to recipe) in a big hangari in the backyard that you add hot water to. You can also make it a summer drink. Don't have to drink it hot, just mix that concentrated juice stuff with some cold water and ice. Soooo fucking tangy and sweet in your mouth. So good.
Not my favorite sit down and just enjoy teas, but having insam/ginseng (this can be pricey) or ginger teas on hand is nice when it gets cold. With honey, they are awesome for a scratchy throat or colds.
posted by kkokkodalk at 10:17 AM on September 1, 2011
My other personal favorite is maeshil (this plum or apricot type fruit) cha. But I don't know what the situation is at your supermarket and the flavor of this one depends HIGHLY on the quality of the product you're working with.
The stuff at stores is OK (sometimes powdered, but usually liquid form already in a jar that you add hot water too). But to be super honest, the bestest maeshil cha is made with a base of liquid juice/concentrate that someone's grandma makes by fermenting a bunch of green plums/apricots (links to recipe) in a big hangari in the backyard that you add hot water to. You can also make it a summer drink. Don't have to drink it hot, just mix that concentrated juice stuff with some cold water and ice. Soooo fucking tangy and sweet in your mouth. So good.
Not my favorite sit down and just enjoy teas, but having insam/ginseng (this can be pricey) or ginger teas on hand is nice when it gets cold. With honey, they are awesome for a scratchy throat or colds.
posted by kkokkodalk at 10:17 AM on September 1, 2011
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posted by The otter lady at 7:57 PM on August 31, 2011