07 August 2009

Feed Thyself

Dear TeaSpot,

I never believed this could happen to me. I forgot to blog for an entire month!

Love,
Me

I've also neglected to cold-brew iced tea, bake anything dangerous or delicious, and form complete, grammatically correct sentences. Don't worry, I haven't exactly been pounding Snapple and Chips Ahoy; more like re-balancing my intake and output. Of everything.

After so much time, even taking a decent photo of a cup of tea in the 7 a.m. sunlight can seem an arduous process. But tea isn't about suffering; in fact, it's about the complete opposite. And I've never stopped enjoying its quiet yet essential role in my every day.

I've also been thinking a lot about the role tea plays for its other adherents, and it seems, at least in most media, to be one of effect: There's no lack of articles extolling its health benefits, or even how to boost its value.

But when any food is considered solely as a vehicle for its nutrients, or evaluated primarily as preventive medicine, something strange happens. What we consume is such a fundamental part of what makes us who we are, and that gets lost if we look to products like green-tea pills and tea extracts. Yes, it's possible to isolate catechins in a laboratory, study their antioxidant effects and attempt to create a live-forever supplement. That doesn't mean it should be done.

I'm all for reading labels, and using nutritional science to understand what you're putting into your body. But food is not medicine. It's food. It provides, it nourishes, it comforts.



You don't need to analyze tea- just enjoy it. So sit down, shut up and drink a cup of matcha already. It's what I've been doing every single morning for the past month, and it's been sustaining me.

10 comments:

loose leaf tea lover said...

Im curious to try this matcha tea business. Dont know what to expect for its flavor. What can you tell me about it? I really like gunpowder tew right now. Is it similar at all?>

LiquidWeight said...

Matcha is amazing. You feel like you're drinking the color green. I need to get more into it myself but I thoroughly recommend it.

montague said...

welcome back! i've never tried tea from matcha... guess i should!

cha sen said...

Glad to see you're back online. Just had some matcha with my husband this morning - a great start to the day.

Veri-Tea said...

Welcome back Ana - we've missed you :) Hope you find the balance that you need (a cup of tea in both hands, perhaps?)

Anonymous said...

glad you are back, Teaspot

anna said...

I really need to start making matcha at home. Right now I only keep it on hand for baking and making ice creams. Yesterday I found a great Japanese grocery store (above St. Marks bookstore) that stocks matcha whisks, bowls and not one or two but more than TEN brands of matcha. Take that M2M! Now to find out which brands are good...

Anonymous said...

So glad you're back! And now you've inspired me to go and get myself some matcha.

Anonymous said...

Your return is matcha appreciated!

kukkaberra said...

thanks to you, i placed an order with matcha source and have been enjoying a nice bowl of bright green matcha all week!