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2003.September.22
----------------------------- In an attempt to make things right with my travel-sick belly, I'm temporarily eliminating coffee. Even though I only have one mug each morning, freshly ground and brewed in my fabulous French press, that one cup is an integral part of my morning. But numerous people have told me to stay away from acidic things for the next week, so I'm giving abstinence a try. Well, not total caffeine abstinence. A hot mug in my hand is such a part of my morning ritual that I couldn't face waking up without it. Enter the substitute: green tea. It's a good time for it, too: tea season, cold weather, creeps closer every day. With green tea, I switch back and forth between two grades. For bulk, everyday use I drink genmai-cha, a Japanese green tea and brown rice blend, also known as "popcorn tea." I bought a huge bag of it last year at Chicago Food (the Korean grocery store on Kimball), and still haven't drunk it all. But for guests, special occasions, and when I feel like treating myself, I have tea purchased at Aion. I love that place so much: 90 different specialty green and black teas, all with accurate descriptions, distinct flavors and tones, harvested from a variety of locations. Writing about that just now reminded me that I still have some white tea leftover from my last visit to Aion. White tea is like green tea, but the leaves are picked at a different stage of growth and thus contain more antioxidants and less caffeine. Sounds like just the tea I need this week. * posted by j3s 2003.September.22I picked up some of the Drum Mountain White Cloud from Aion back a few months and I let it sit over the summer when I didn't really want hot tea. But the past few days at work I've been making myself some everyday and it is making me so happy. Its subtle and crisp and refreshing, a good transition to heavier wintery teas. And, I've noticed that I can get 3-4 cups of tea from a small pinch of leaves. So I get through a day on one pinch of tea. I think because they're whole leaves there is more flavor to seep out. Oh, glad you're back! Can't wait to read/hear all about it. * posted by Cinnamon september 22, 2003 12:12 pmPeppermint tea is my favorite. If you have a touch of gastroenteritis, it's probably best to eliminate caffeine altogether (gasp!). Peppermint not only smells great, but does a good job of settling things down. Also, ginger tea (a little harder to find) does wonders for nausea and is also an herbal. I hope you don't mind, but I have a bunch of stomach problems and felt I should leave a comment about what's worked for me in the past. Also, if you ate a bunch of uncooked foods, like fruits, etc. (especially fruits), it might be a good idea to see your doctor and have a workup to check for any weird little microbes that could be making your life miserable. * posted by paula september 22, 2003 12:26 pmCinnamon - Yeah, that white tea is awesome. When I bought it, the Aion guy mentioned that you could re-steep it several times, but I was amazed to discover just how many. We should definitely have a blogger get together or something, so I can tell you more about my trip :) Paula - I love peppermint tea! It's what I drink in the winter to stay warm, like 3 or 4 mugs a day, which is fine because it's uncaffeinated. Thanks for the advice on the belly, I did eat a lit of fresh fruit while I was there. If I'm still feeling bad next week, I'll break down and go to the doctor, though I am feeling somewhat better today. Andrew - Genmai cha rocks! Such a warm, comforting flavor. I have a friend from Japan who knows to ask for it whenever he's over, and is always happy to find that I have it. * posted by j3s september 23, 2003 11:10 amPost a comment
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