Published by Swiss James on 11 Jan 2008 at 11:57 am
Making tea, the creepy way
Hands up who likes drinking tea?
Me too, it refreshes your tired mind, slakes your thirst, and stains your teeth. Sometimes, if my butler is sick, I even like to make my own tea and previously thought that I was doing a reasonable job.
The good people at Lipton however, suggest that I’m missing some very important steps:
I assume Hirameki is a Japanese word which means “Everyone in the office staring and pointing at you“.
They’re right about using freshly boiled water though; I’ve tried boiling a whole batch of water to use throughout the week, but by the second or third day your tea is stone cold.
I sometimes dunk it 6 or 7 times rather than 5 because I like mine a bit stronger, and call me odd but I sometimes add some milk as well, but otherwise that’s the same recipe I use.
Don’t they miss out “Stage 6: Pour Chivas Regal into the tea”?
whiskey in tea? That sounds bloody horrible like. Irish coffee is good, but that’s where I draw the line.
Didn’t anyone notice the little dance? What was the little dance all about!?
Hello, long time lurker here. The little dance was a way to spend 2-3 minutes while waiting for your tea to steep, I think, but yes it was pretty weird.
As for whisky in tea, I’ve been out drinking with Thai guys in Shanghai and it seems like they always get that bottled green tea in a pitcher with ice along with their Chivas, which I must admit isn’t nearly as bad as it sounds though that might be because I was always completely trashed by the time we finished drinking…
It really doesn’t matter how they are telling you to make your tea, SJ, bottom line is, Lipton is bloody awful. Fullstop! Drink one of the following instead: Typhoo (my tea of choice), PG Tips (when I can’t get Typhoo) or Marks and Sparks Extra Strong tea bags.
:P
I thought things in “binge-drinking’ Britain had got bad but China suggests that you need exercise for every cuppa you are about to drink. Looks a bit Macarena-like to me – it’ll never catch on!
Tora- bless you for commenting, I know it ain’t easy with all these regulars around! I still haven’t tried the Chivas and green tea abomination that people like here- my job is in software so my colleagues don’t do such fashionable things. Surely it’s bloody horrible though, no?
Tzechuk- Liptons is the easy way out, I dont’ want to be one of those ex-pats who gets Rich Tea biscuits sent out in care packages once a month. Adapt and survive I reckon is the way to go, and I can still get Early Grey.
Scarletti! I hope it doesn’t catch on, tis unnatural to exercise so. How was your NYE/Christmas- when are you shaving that beard off?
I enjoy L-Arm’s helmet hair.
You’ve got early grey as well?
You really got a raw deal with hair eh?
James – Given that your expectations are so low for the Chivas & green tea mix, I think that it will easily surpass them. By no means am I saying that it’s great but I never thought it was bad. Then again, I don’t think I’ve considered an alcoholic drink to be bad ever since I tried my brother’s Christmas concoction of Midori & Campari (a Christmas drink purely for the pretty layers of green and red, definitely not the taste) because bad just doesn’t begin to describe that one…
Am I the only person that hasn’t heard of hirameki tea? I found this little bit from britannica.com:
“The tea was developed in Japan and is aimed at stressed office workers. Hirameki is infused with an amino acid called theanine which is supposed to make the drinker both relaxed and alert at the same time.”
‘Flash’ and ‘insight’ were the only translations for hirameki that I could find, but I suppose it works with the definition. Still, I’m surprised that they kept the Japanese name for the Chinese market.
If this tea actually succeeds in making people feel alert, my guess is that it’s because they’re weirded out after seeing their co-workers dancing in their chairs while preparing their tea.
haha that’s funny, you’re the first to make me laugh today in the blogosphere.
Owen don’t be silly you can’t be bald AND grey, it’s either / or!
I’ve seen pre-mixed Martell Green Tea ads at some of the KTV spots around town. Er, not that I frequent KTVs.
Thanks for sharing
I am surprised they didn’t ask you to do the Macarena! HEy Macarena!