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After Printer's Row yesterday, Chats and I went to Russian Tea Time. Since I'd just sweated through a public appearance, a flight of their oversized vodka shots sounded pretty good (Three 2oz shots for $13, with black bread and pickle), and they do a vegetarian dinner for two that could feed four.

I started talking tea with our waiter and learned that they sell their blend in a bag. $10 for 4oz, which is reasonable for a specialty blend, especially since a heaping teaspoon is more than ample to make a hearty brew in my French press.

So I came home with some. I put it in my old, sadly long-since empty Twinnings Russian Caravan tin. I've been rubbing my hands in anticipation all day looking forward to afternoon tea.

I've had a hard time finding a Russian blend I like. Twinning's Russian Caravan is no longer obtainable in the states, and most "caravan" blends from the expensive shops are too smoky, bitter, or spiced for my palate. I'm not saying I can't make do with plain old Lipton (a very underrated tea, especially when you take price into account) but tea should be an affordable luxury and I like to have my choice. Russian blends are my favorite for long sessions either reading or working. Russian Tea Time's mix has a smooth black flavor I like, very friendly to sugar, with just a hint of citrus and spice.

"The soul of politeness is not a question of rules but of tranquility, humility, and simplicity. And in the taking of tea it finds perhaps its most perfect expression."
- Ms. Dorothea Johnson
Director of Protocol School of Washington, in her book Tea and Etiquette.

Oh, the tea was delicious. BTW, E.E. Knight's patented "trailer park high tea" consists of a pot of tea and a couple of Fig Newtons.

Wow, I haven't talked about tea in how many months?

Here's a tip I picked up from a favorite waiter*: add a little pinch of cardamom to a pot of black tea and you get "Persian tea." It's brings a wonderful, slightly sweet flavor, and finally allows me to duplicate Reza's tea (Chats gets somewhat goggle-eyed at the amount I consume when we go for a long, leisurely dinner there) at home. According to Wiki it's also a popular additive to coffee in the ME. A very little does the trick, which is just as well because it ain't cheap.

And a quick brag: I did a backflip over this review of Dragon Champion at a site called "Wantz Upon a Time." I hope it gets quoted on the PR page in future volumes. She really got to what I intended to be the heart of the story.

ETA: She also did a review of Dragon Avenger. Fast with the fingers, this Wantz.

*Bermac of Reza's, and I hope this young man opens a restaurant of his own some day, he really loves food and discusses it with the enthusiasm of a gastronome.

I've found a tasty new Japanese tea that's kind of growing on me (normally I'm a black tea or black tea blend kinda guy -- made strong enough to stand a spoon up in it, to use Orwell's phrase). It's YamaMotoYama's Brown Rice Tea (Genmai cha) -- a green tea seasoned with toasted brown rice. Tastes like green tea mixed with rice krispies, actually, but is a good deal more pleasant than it sounds.

We found it in our local grocery in the "ethnic foods" section.