China Rose Petal Tea…
That is my choice for today’s tea experience. At first glance, it seems strange to want to consume something that sounds like, smells like, and tastes like something you find in a garden. I humorously chose this flavor after having several discussions concerning roses in the past few weeks. The first “series” of discussions revolved around an interesting scene I recently saw in the critically-acclaimed Spanish film “Like Water For Chocolate”. A year or so ago, my friend Richard posted on my wall a recipe he said reminded him of me, and this recipe had been featured in the film, and the book from which it was adapted. The recipe calls for none other than quail…and red roses. Aside from the fact that the film is intriguing, original, rich in context, and magical in its’ showcase of how food permeates all elements of life, it makes for interesting discussion especially with the Quail in Rose Petal Sauce recipe. The beauty and insight of the book and film can be overshadowed by its’ erotic nature, but I encourage to the viewers/readers to look past that and dive into what I believe to be its’ true simple meaning : love can be demonstrated through food. And with that very vague and simplistic statement, I trust that you all can watch the film and decide a meaning for yourself. As for the recipe, on a day that I’m feeling really inspired I’m going to try to make the Quail in Rose Petal Sauce…though I’m not sure where one can find quail. Publix?
So naturally, the progression of discussions from “For Water Like Chocolate” to Quail in Rose Petal Sauce to the current topic for which I’m about to write. The scent of roses. As a Catholic, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of roses is Mary. That is for many reasons, but most tangibly, the rose petal scented rosary that one easily find at St. Mary’s Gift Shop (here in Nashville) or the Vatican. My most recent discussion about roses was a more humorous take on the scent of roses : rose scented perspiration. Many people often hear the phrase “You are what you eat”. And if you’ve done some research ( aka web browsing), you may know that certain foods not only make your breath smell a certain way, but also make your body “aroma” smell a certain way. So for those that perspire quite a bit, what would happen if your perspiration was like a fragrant bouquet of roses? Undoubtedly someone is laughing or smirking as they are reading this ( as I am while typing it). But how interesting it would be to chew on some silky rose petals a few hours before working out, and then result in a perfume like state. This is precisely why i’m drinking China Rose Petal Tea at the moment ;). Ironically, one of my perfumes is D+G’s “the rose”. I think I may stick with that! Ha.
Keeping along those same lines. Tea. The drink of many cultures. It is the beverage that commonly brings family members, friends, and strangers together in unlikely, yet wonderful encounters. I grew up drinking tea. As a young child living in England, my mother collected tea sets. As many of you know the English love their tea! Earl gray and English breakfast were the common picks those days. When we traveled to London on a given weekend, my favorite treats were to drink “big girl” drink with biscuits and candy (of course b/c tea and candy mesh so well, right?) and then go shopping for tea sets that mom collected. I remember finding so much joy in plopping multiple sugar cubes from a high as I could reach, and watching them descend into the khaki-colored deliciousness (b/c tea is with cream is always best for my palate). Beyond those years, tea is always imbedded in my travels, and locations of living. When I spent a summer in South Korea, mom and I often shared green tea with our Korean neighbors and learning about Korean culture. Upon our more recent travels, Turkey was the most memorable in its’ cultural affinity for tea. With no exaggeration at all, every store we walked into offered us apple tea, the apparent country favorite. When we asked a local Turk why everyone seemed to love tea so much, he told us that it was a sign of genuine hospitality and genuine interest in sharing something with another. It makes sense. It is simple to make, it can be easily enjoyed with many consumables ( some more than others), and if it is made with the intention of sharing with others, it becomes a beverage of choice. Also, it is a warm beverage that soothes the body in the cold winter months. Now tying all of these random thoughts together, roses, tea, travels, I’ll leave you with this image. The Grand Bazaar. Istanbul, Turkey. The Grand Bazaar, open since approximately 1460, is home to a couple thousand shops selling spices, lamps, bags, scarves, natural perfumes/oils, and many other exotic trinkets. One of the more favorite items I purchased was an assortment of natural teas made of several different types of flowers, fruits, and spices. The vast amount display of colors and smells is enough to give you that giddy feeling inside, but also that overwhelming realization that you want all of it, but should/can only purchase 1-2 of them. I’ve attached a picture of some of the spices, although I can’t find the images of the tea from the bazaar. So here’s to roses, tea, shared memories, and lovely scents?
The picture featured at the beginning of this post is one that I took of the Grand Bazaar Dec. '09.
No comments:
Post a Comment