Sangaria

Merry, wonky, upside-down Christmas! Normally by this time on Christmas afternoon, I’d be settled in the rocking chair doing something to evoke warmth—crocheting, cradling a hot cuppa, snoodling up under a blankie with a cozy movie … but it’s 78 degrees on the garage thermometer, we grilled steaks outside, and a neighbor down the street is power-washing his truck in shorts and flip-flops. Normal for y’all down South, but unheard of in Missouri!

Wasting weather like this would be sacrilege, so I took a good book, hiked up the street to the neighborhood park, and read a couple chapters in their glider swing before walking back home, by which time I had actually worked up a sweat.

Fortunately, a Christmas treat from my son was waiting in the fridge: a 4-pack of Royal Milk Tea, in beautiful little cans that remind me of Blue Willow china. Rather than tasting like sweet tea with milk, it tastes like sweet milk with tea, or a vanilla tea milkshake. Timely and appropriate for the day!

Hope a little joy sneaked up behind you today, too.

I’m not sure if I got a bad batch or if it’s just the flavor of the tea, but this smells and tastes very slightly sour. It’s almost like if the tea had lemon added to it, but I don’t know that this is supposed to have lemon. I do taste a condensed milk sort of flavor as well. I don’t know if I will finish this one because I can’t seem to get over that sour taste.

I’ve always looked forward to shopping at Daiso whenever visiting the west coast. For the unacquainted, Daiso is an Asian dollar store that sells some really nifty Japanese items. Kawaii stuff, stationary, housewares, toys, snacks, etc. So imagine how stoked I was when the first Daiso store in the midwest opened up just a few minutes from my house. I’ve been dropping by regularly and usually leave with one of their bottled Japanese teas.

I’m a big fan of the Ito-En line of bottled teas and their Golden Oolong is one of my favorites. Last night though it was missing from the beverage case so I picked up a similar tea from a different brand. This Sangaria tea was a darker oolong than Ito-En which is made from a blend of Tie Guan Yin and Huan Jin Guei leaves. To me it tasted like a Da Hong Pao. A heavier roast with a cinnamon warmth and motor oil like thickness and mouthfeel. Definitely on the darker end of the oolong spectrum. Not my preferred flavor profile but still a very drinkable tea.

Finally I tried a Tea completely different from Ice teas which I usually found here. Sangaria Oolong Tea is just ready to drink, there isn’t addiction of water or sugar. The ingredients are only Oolong tea and vitamin C. The flavour reminds me the taste of the oolong tea of the company “Touch Organic”: nutty, a little sweet. The taste is nutty and cocoa. No sweet, no bitter, it’s neutral. It’s better to drink it cold.