For me, a simple pleasure in the morning is microwaving water for two minutes (yes, I do not have a kettle) and then dusting in a few tea leaves. The water has to be boiling hot to the point I am just casually sipping on the edge of the cup for a few minutes while waiting for the tea to cool down. Even describing this makes me feel therapeutic and calming–a true tea enthusiast.
In fact, I have always preferred comforting food such as congee and herbal soup over stronger and more flavorful dishes like burgers and pizza.
Thus, I wanted to share some of my favorite tea right now. They are all very accessible at Boston’s Chinatown grocery stores and just a few leaves are enough for each cup of tea.
- Jasmine Tea: This is a classic. I don’t need to go into more details right?
- Chrysanthemum Tea: This is sort of my “childhood” tea, because my family would often get Chrysanthemum tea at our dim sum outings. One thing I must point out is that you have to add rock sugar as it tastes best sweet.
- Honey Lemon Tea: You may have drank this when you’re sick or have a sore throat, but it is also just nice to drink whenever. Using just honey and a lemon or lime slice, this “tea” doesn’t use leaves and its intensity of sourness versus sweetness can easily be adjusted.
- Bonus: Bitter Melon Tea: For those who want to try something a little different, dried bitter melon tea is actually pretty good and especially refreshing.
