The Melting Teapot

Update: Another day, another picture of mint tea emailed by my sister! Today she has taken a short trip from Tunis to Sidi Bou Said, which is a picturesque town known for its artist community.  Most of the buildings and homes are painted white, with blue trim that matches the brilliant blue of the Mediterranean.

Here's the photo of tea and treats from Tammy:

Today's email held a nice surprise -- a fun photo of tea from my sister  and brother-in-law, who are currently in Tunisia.

"Here is a picture of our tea and espresso. . . The tea is almond tea which is just the mint tea with almonds floating in it. It only tastes like almonds if you eat them. Yesterday I had thea de menthe (mint tea) twice and it always comes in little glasses. It is about 2 dinars which is $1.50."

Tammy is quite a world traveler, and this month she has been visiting first Sicily and now Tunisia.  The two countries are on different continents, but a ferry ride across the Mediterranean Sea gets you from one place to the other.  Tunisia sits at the northernmost point in Africa, with the Mediterranean on its north and the Saharan desert at its southern end. The capital city of Tunis is in the northeast of the country, situated near the Gulf of Tunis.

Tammy says it has been a bit chilly and rainy the past couple of days, and she describes Tunis as "a bustling city with lots of sidewalk cafes. People just sit with espresso or mint tea and watch the crowds walk by. We did that ourselves a couple of times yesterday.”

My Virtual Trip to Tunis

Wow!  Watching the world go by while sipping tea sounds like the perfect way to spend an hour or two. I haven’t ever been to Tunis or Tunisia, so I decided to take a virtual tea tour as a way of learning more about the country. I started by making my own cup of tea to sip while clicking through photo galleries, travelogues, and videos.

Luckily, we had some Gunpowder Green Tea in the cabinet, but it is too early in the year for mint from our herb garden.  I still sweetened the pot with sugar, to keep the cup at least partly authentic to the region. Even with the sugar, the tea is a little bitter and would probably be much nicer with a handful of fresh mint enhancing the flavor.  I'll have to remember to give this a try again when the mint is growing.

Tea is a widely-practiced custom across northern Africa.  According to wikipedia sources, “Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, consume respectively 1.4, 1.5 and 0.7 kg of tea yearly per capita. “ Most of the tea sipped there is mint tea, which is generally gunpowder green made with fresh mint, lots of sugar, and sometimes pine nuts (or, in my sister's case, almonds).  If you'd like to make some for yourself, here is a typical recipe: North African Mint Tea.

For even more information, here is an easy-to-follow video from a woman named Allia, showing how to make Moroccan Mint Tea:

I’ve had this type of tea in the U.S. at various Moroccan restaurants, but it is surely better when sipped at a sidewalk café on a cool and rainy day in northern Africa. This must be the type of bustling sidewalk cafe my sister described:

Tunis seems to have quite a café culture; there are even cafes on rooftops.  Here’s a nice video from someone who was “sitting at a cafe atop this building and listening to the call to prayer at dusk in Tunis.”  It looks to be in an older, less modern, part of the city (perhaps in the medina area).

I’ll end this blog post by encouraging you to listen to some music while looking at some beautiful photos. Here's a link to a contemporary song by Tunisian-French singer Amin: Le Dernier Qui Parle. While you listen to that, click over to TrekEarth for more photos that are related to tea in Tunisia.

TrekEarth is always one of the first places I go when virtually exploring another country.

I’m not a fan of the regular Top Chef, with its manufactured feuds and emphasis on contests designed to bring the worse out of people.  However, last summer’s Top Chef Masters was a different type of reality cooking show.  In addition to the artistry of these great chefs, there was a sense of camaraderie and respect that prevailed even during intense competitions.  It was refreshing to watch, and I really enjoyed it.

I’m hoping that will continue to be the case with the new season that begins tonight, Wednesday April 7.

It should be even more fun this year because of the local connection. There are three Seattle chefs competing:  Maria Hines of Tilth Restaurant, Jerry Traunfeld of Poppy (previously at The Herb Farm), and “chef-in-the-hat” Thierry Rautureau of Rover’s.   These are incredible chefs who run a few of the most esteemed restaurants in the Pacific Northwest -- I'm excited to watch and cheer them on!

Foodies from around the country will recognize most of the chefs who will be competing, and you may even have eaten at a few of their restaurants.  See the full list and read the bios of chef-contestants and judges here: http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters/season-2/bios


I’ve got the DVR set to record.  Do you?

One sip and sleep is washed away, and the mind sees the world clearly

Another sip and my spirit is cleansed, like showers dampening the dust

With the third sip, I attain the Way--what need is there to fret about troubles?

(Master Jiaoran, Tang Dynasty)

My morning began in a drowsy blur, and I just couldn’t clear my head. This is generally the time I stumble and bumble through making a pot of black tea for my morning cuppa, but today something different was required. I needed simplicity, clarity, and eye-opening aroma. The morning was calling for a cup of fragrant baozhong.

I turned the kettle on, pulled out my dwindling stash of Farmer’s Choice Baozhong from Floating Leaves Tea, and chose one of my favorite gaiwans.

Mmmmmmmm. . . the steam rises from the gaiwan, and the air becomes fragrant with subtle blossoms and the green notes of spring. With just one sip of the fruity, floral tea, my body relaxes and I begin to smile. . . three or four gaiwan cupfuls later, my mind has cleared and I’m now ready to face the day.

What does a budding food writer do when she gets a nasty flu virus and just can't face thinking, much less writing, about food or drink?  She avoids posting to her blog.

I am finally feeling better, have been sipping many cups of tea, and am slowly pulling together a post about one of my favorite Washington wine appellations:  Red Mountain.  Hopefully, you'll get to read more from me in a day or two.  In the meantime, I'd like to share this very nice video from WineSpectator Magazine:

If this was interesting to you, take a look at  WineSpectator’s YouTube channel.  They have over a hundred short videos on a variety of food and wine topics.  You’ll see other five minute pieces on various wine regions, quick how-to segments, interviews with winemakers, even various tributes to Julia Child and her cooking.