Ippodo Tea Co. in Kyoto • 3 comments • At the beginning of 2009, we met a couple from Japan at Mara House in Luxor, Egypt. When we lived in Montreal, they visited and we showed them around... and when we went to Kyoto, they graciously drove us around the city and played tour guide. One of the places they took us was Ippodo Tea Co. which is a shop for premium tea, like ceremonial matcha. There is also a tearoom attached where the aim is "to communicate a fuller appreciation of the charm and allure of Japanese green tea through tea classes and other activities". We were taught about the different kinds of matcha, about the ideal water temperature, and used a timer to make sure we got the perfect steep. Our friends kept calling the dark green drink "super matcha". The actual name is Koicha and it's the highest grade ceremonial matcha (it was quite strong). I'd say matcha can be an acquired taste, especially if you are used to having your tea sweetened. They kindly sent us home with some Uji-Shimizu, which I enjoyed with almond milk. I've since grown to appreciate matcha more, even without a sweetener. We're so thankful to our friends for this experience that we would have never thought to do on our own. I'm thoroughly embarrassed that our equivalent was taking them to La Banquise in Montreal where, in true Japanese fashion, they politely said they enjoyed cheese curds and gravy. Perhaps poutine is an acquired taste, too? ;) Social media is mostly a nuisance but it's amazing to me that we've been able to keep in touch with a couple we met over an evening tea in Africa because of it and that, so many years later, we were able to share a different kind of tea together again. - Mina Find us on Instagram: @minaseville | @alexanderseville
argan oil • 16 comments • On our way to Zagora, our driver (and new friend) took us to a women's argan co-operative in the village of Tadarte. We shared a breakfast of Moroccan bread dipped in argan butter and argan oil. Of course, there was plenty of mint tea. Argan oil, or Moroccan oil as it's more commonly referred to in North America, is used in a variety of skin and hair care products and seems pretty trendy. Apparently, women in Morocco have been using it for shiny hair and glowing skin. I haven't used it consistently enough to give you my opinion on it's beauty claims, but I can attest to it's deliciousness. - Mina
alex's night of drinking • 8 comments • The title is a bit deceptive; I doubt we'll be posting drunken photos any time soon. One night in the souk, Alex was feeling pretty adventurous and tried everything from freshly squeezed orange juice to some reeeeeally strong tea. I know that "adventurous" is a bit much to use as a description for drinking tea/O.J, but travelers need to be wary of street food and drinks. Unfortunately, he did end up getting sick and was in bed for the entire day afterwards. I walked to a pharmacy and bought him some meds by gesturing to a woman who didn't speak French or English (not the first time I've done this!) and he was better within a day. I took a sip of the juice and didn't get sick so we thought it was the tea which seems impossible because it was boiling hot... I suppose it could have been something completely unrelated. On the plus side, this is the first vacation ever that I didn't get ill. I popped vitamin C everyday and generally acted like a crazy germaphobe... maybe it worked, or maybe it was just mind over matter. We ended that night on one of the many terraces, overlooking the market, and shared a dinner of kebabs. No meal in Marrakesh is complete without mint tea - a perfect end to the evening.
mariage frères - maison de thé • 15 comments • Yay for Lindsey who writes a blog about Paris and suggested Mariage Frères for tea. We thought that we'd just be stopping in for a sip or two but ended up spending the better part of our morning there, looking through the museum (more on that tomorrow), the tea shop, and enjoying a leisurely brunch. C'est magnifique!
le maître chocolatier • 21 comments • The salon de thé and chocolate shop, Le Maître Chocolatier, on rue Sherbrooke, in Montreal, was a perfect spot to have some afternoon tea. I sampled their thé noir aux citrons d'italie, while Alex chose thé vert parfumé rose et fraise. They didn't serve the typical finger sandwiches, but they did have a unique take on the regular cucumber tea sandwich, and a variety of other amuse bouches. Our favourite was the hummus and baked tomato on toast points - so simple that we've made them, at home, several times since (because they were unbelievably good). Alex enjoyed his unusual tea with rose petals and strawberries so much that we picked up a canister to go. - Mina
