University of Denver Study Abroad – Page 13

Koreans, and many of Korea’s neighbors drink tea. I knew this before studying abroad, so I brought my mom’s favorite tea with as a gift to share with Koreans to provide a small comparison. Here is a list of teas I was introduced to while studying abroad.

생강차 Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is considered a medicinal, and believed to ease fatigue, warm the body, and neutralize toxicity in the body. Koreans will often drink this tea at the first signs of a cold to prevent it from getting worse.

If you are interested in trying ginger tea, I recommend going to a local store that sells Korean foods and look for a glass jar where the ginger is mixed with honey and sugar. All you need to do is drop a heaping spoonful into glass of hot water, stir, and viola!

유자차 Citron Tea

Yuja is a type of citrus fruit; in this tea slices of the yuja, including the rind, are cut and mixed with sugar or honey. It is a great drink for winter, and if you find the ginseng flavor too strong citron tea is a delicious tasting alternative for fighting off colds.

보리차 Barley Tea

When I stayed with a Korean family for a week I was surprised that they boiled all of the water they drank, even though the water from faucets was deemed safe for consumption by the government. Often, instead of drinking plain water, they made tea. One of the teas used to substitute plain water is barley tea. Unlike most Korean teas, barley has a nutty flavor. It is also good for digestion.

It can be purchased in single serving tea bags, or in larger pouches when used for larger quantities of water. You can also buy bottled barley tea and can find it in almost every convenience store.

현미녹차 Roasted Brown Rice Green Tea

Roasted brown rice green tea is also a popular in Japan, and goes by the name genmaicha. I love the nutty roasted flavor in this tea. If it is an option nine out of ten times I will choose roasted brown rice green tea over plain green tea.

Flowering Teas

If you have the opportunity, I recommend going to a tea cafe that is known for serving flowering teas. A small tightly bound ball of tea is dropped into a cup of hot water. Then watch as the ball blooms into a beautiful flower and creates a pleasant tea for you to drink.

Your time abroad is THE time to have adventures, try new things, and immerse yourself in an entirely new world. Where is the best place to dip your toes in the water of a new culture? For me, it was food! Near the center of Beijing there is this lighted, stinky back alley between buildings that on any given night is packed with people. On either side there are food vendors, and there is an entire section just for souvenirs that you can bargain for. This place is called 王府井 (Wángfǔjǐng) and in Beijing, it is the place to get crazy and adventurous food! What was the craziest thing I ate while abroad aside from camel meat? Scorpions! Multiple food vendors in this alley sell either three small scorpions on a stick or one big one. After you order one (alive) they put it in a deep fryer, spice is up, and then you get to chow down! After the initial fear of even putting it in my mouth, I ate it and it was actually pretty good tasting! (好吃!) Minus the legs of course!

The next thing I had to try, of course, was starfish, on a stick! My two friends and I decided to split the starfish, however the vendor never told us how to properly eat it. After taking the first bite into the hard, salty, and crunchy shell the vendor man started laughing at me! He then proceeded to let me know that you are supposed to crack open the outside shell and eat the insides…. Well at least it didn’t taste that bad! I only took two bites and then I had to pass it off to my friend, probably not something I would eat again,

What better to follow up Starfish with than Snake? While I do not have a picture of this creature, it was a small, skinny snake with the head still attached, spiraled around a skewer. After biting into part of the body, I realized that it has almost no taste and was all crunch. Then I had the pleasure of eating the head… no so great!

I finished my adventurous night of eating with mini, tart apples covered in some type of candied coating. Delicious! After the fried ice cream, and hard candies that followed, my friends and I tested our skills at bargaining. In China, if you go to market, there are not set prices for items to purchase. The vendor gives you a price that is usually outrageously high, the buyer suggests a very low price in comparison and you bargain down to a middle ground. Bargaining in Chinese was one of the most valuable language lessons I learned, and I was able pay less! Overall it is a great culture to learn from!

– Nicole, Study Abroad Assistant

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Top 5 Must-Try Korean Teas

Food!