APCC Tea Experience: Indonesia

Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) offers a Tea Experience on the first Saturday of each month. It's an opportunity to discover and learn more about the teas, the culture, and the traditions of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

On January 9th, APCC hosted an Indonesian Tea Experience, presented by Maria and Lely.  The featured tea was a traditional hot ginger drink called Sekoteng.

Sekoteng originated in West Java and the recipe has since spread all over Indonesia.  Preparation can be time consuming, so it is generally only served at small gatherings or purchased as a late-night treat.

Ginger Tea Base:
1 1/2 liters water
150 grams sugar
100 grams ginger, roasted, peeled, and crushed
4 lemongrass stalks (only white part), crushed
4 pandan leaves, washed and tied in a knot
4 lime leaves (kaffir), torn
1/2 Cinnamon Stick

Toppings:
Mung beans, boiled 1 hour
Sugar palm fruit
Tapioca pearls, boiled until soft
Bread, lightly toasted and cut into cubes

Preparation:
Bring the ginger tea base to a boil, simmer for 1 hour, then strain out the solids.
Place boiled mung beans, sugar palm fruit, and tapioca pearls in small bowls or teacups.
Fill the bowls or cups with the ginger tea.
Top with bread cubes and serve.

Sekoteng is delicous and revitalizing and we all enjoyed it so much that we went back for seconds.  Thank you to APCC and to our presenters, Maria and Lely, for introducing us to Indonesian culture and this traditional drink!

On February 13th, Indonesia will be featured at the Tacoma Dome for the 18th Annual Asia Pacific New Year Celebration.  You may have the opportunity to see Lely's dance, so don't miss it!

APCC Tea Experience: Samoa

Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) offers a Tea Experience on the first Saturday of each month. It's an opportunity to discover and learn more about the teas, the culture, and the traditions of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

The December 5th Tea Experience featured Samoan Laumoli tea.  Our presenter, Siniva, is a retired nurse who shares her knowledge and experience to advocate for health in the community.

Part of the display included a vivid red necklace which is an 'Ula Fala made from pandanus and typically worn by chiefs on special occasions.

Laumoli is made from the leaves of the lemon tree. Samoan lemon tree leaves are larger than those sold in North America and can be harvested year-round. Since the trees are prevalent in Samoa, Laumoli tea is also prevalent and generally enjoyed in the morning.  This healthy beverage has been passed down through generations and, though there is no story behind it, it is appreciated for its refreshing aroma and taste.

Preparation:

• Bring water to a boil.
• Add laumoli leaves and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. 
• Add sugar to taste and serve with food.  

Traditionally, laumoli is enjoyed with rice made with fresh coconut milk, crackers, or sometimes with other food.

Freshly prepared laumoli fills the room with a clean, bright citrus aroma and the taste is a pleasantly mellow and refreshing citrus with none of the astringency of the fruit.  It's a delight to drink!

Thank you to Siniva and to APCC for another wonderful Tea Experience!

APCC Tea Experience: Korea

Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) offers a Tea Experience on the first Saturday of each month. It's an opportunity to discover and learn more about the teas, the culture, and the traditions of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

On March 7th, we were treated to Korean tea ceremony performed by Jung Hee Park with calligraphy by Song Ja Park.

Mrs. Park used a tea bowl and teapot that were more than 100 years old.  The larger tea cups were approximately 90 years old and modern tea cups like those we were drank from are smaller in size.

We were introduced to a rare tea collected from wild plants grown on a plantation on Jiri Mountain (Jirisan) in South Korea. The tea, which is medicinal, is plucked before March and believed to prevent health problems throughout the year. The leaves are eaten as a salad after they have been used to make tea, so nothing is wasted. 

I am working on a complete translation of the tea name. Until then, we were told that it means "snow covered field with 100 flowers."

The tea has a delicious flavor similar to toasted rice and was served with food, including a beautiful handmade sweet made from sweet rice flour and decorated with an edible flower from the azalea family.

While we were enjoying the tea, Mrs. Park presented each of the attendees with calligraphy that means "Entering Spring will give you good luck." New Year calligraphy is said to bring good luck when posted near the entrance to your home and that is right where mine now resides.

Many thanks to Mrs. Jung Hee Park and Mrs. Song Ja Park for your beautiful presentation and to APCC for hosting the event!

APCC Tea Experience: Philippines

Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) offers a Tea Experience on the first Saturday of each month.  It's an opportunity to discover and learn more about the teas, the culture, and the traditions of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

On February 7th, I attended the Philippines Tea Experience presented by Cezar and Terry Bordon.  Cezar provided an introduction to Philippine culture and Terry demonstrated how to make the refreshing ginger drink, Salabat.  It's a very simple beverage and easy to make, but the results are quite impressive.  With the strong ginger aroma and taste, it really opens up the airways.  Salabat is usually prepared in the evenings and is a staple when company is expected.  Because it is considered a complimentary item, it will almost never appear on a Filipino restaurant menu and must be requested.

Terry was kind enough to share her recipe with us:

12 cups water
6-7 whole ginger, peel-intact (if ginger is larger than 5 inches, adjust amount to taste)
1/2 cup brown sugar
Lemon slices (optional)

Wash each piece of ginger, cut in half, and smash (using the side of the knife blade or any flat surface).
Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
Add ginger and boil for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar (adjust amount to taste).
Strain and serve with optional lemon slices.

Thanks to Terry and Cezar for introducing us to this delicious beverage and to APCC for hosting the event!

World Beverages: Baesuk

Baesuk is a traditional Korean beverage that is perfect almost anytime, but especially when you are feeling unwell.  I made some when I was sick recently and the soothing honey, crisp fruit, and spicy zing of pepper and ginger were just what I needed to get through a tough day.

Ingredients:
4 cups water
2 3' pieces of ginger
1 Asian pear (Bae)
36 whole peppercorns
2 1/2 tablespoons of honey
Pinenuts for garnish

Directions:

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.

Peel the ginger and cut into medium pieces.

Add the ginger to the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.

Peel the pear and cut into 12 slices.

Place the pear slices in cold water to reduce browning.

Using a toothpick, make 3 small holes in the outer side of each pear slice.

Add peppercorns to the holes.

Remove the pear slices from the cold water and place in the boiling water.

Reduce to low heat and cook uncovered for 3-5 minutes.

Add honey, stirring gently.

Remove from heat and remove ginger.

Allow to cool.

Serve with a generous portion of liquid, 3-4 pear slices, and 3-4 pinenuts for garnish.

Notes:

• Reduce or increase your ingredients to taste.  I tend to prefer a lighter ginger flavor, so I might prepare this with half the ginger for myself.  
• Baesuk can be served hot or cold.  Try it both ways to decide which version you enjoy most.
• Placement of the peppercorns is optional.  I have seen them placed in different patterns on different surface areas.
• I will try overnight refrigeration for part of the batch next time, to see if the pear slices will become too mushy.

World Beverages: Champurrado

In addition to tea, I am also interested in the preparation and presentation of other beverages from around the world.  In sharing my own experiences, I hope you may also be inspired to experience the world in a cup!

My first recipe attempt was Champurrado (Mexican Hot Chocolate).  A friend was visiting who happened to be quite enthusiastic about the drink and I wanted to treat them to the homemade variety.  The result was a sweet, flavorful, spicy, and perfect to warm up on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:
3 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole star anise
1/4 cup masa harina (finely ground corn flour)
2 cups milk
3 ounces piloncillo, finely chopped
1/2 disc Ibarra chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
Add cinnamon sticks and star anise to water and remove from heat, steeping for 10 minutes.
Remove cinnamon sticks and star anise from the pot and return to low heat.
Slowly add masa harina to the water, 1/3 cup at a time, stirring until completely dissolved.
Add milk, piloncillo, and Ibarra chocolate, stirring until completely dissolved.
Place a whisk or molinillo (recommended), into the pot and roll the handle between your palms to froth the drink before it is served.

Notes:

• After reading a number of recipes and reviews mentioning a slightly grainy texture, I chose to use Maseca's Instant Masa Harina rather than the standard version.  The results were relatively smooth.  
• I found that leaving the pot on low heat to keep the Champurrado warm while first portions were served produced a thicker, less enjoyable drink, most likely due to the nature of the corn flour.  In future, I will remove it from heat after the first serving.
• A standard metal kitchen whisk works quite well to produce a froth, though I would recommend using one with a smooth, evenly rounded handle.  The traditional molinillo is designed specifically for this purpose and also works well with other recipes where you might want to quickly dissolve ingredients or add froth.
• I highly recommend using a very sharp knife with a wide blade, like a santoku, to cut the piloncillo and Ibarra chocolate.  Both ingredients are rather dense and can be quite frustrating and time consuming if using an inferior knife.
• I have seen a number of reviews recommending a substitution of brown sugar for piloncillo and corn starch for masa harina.  Sometime, I will try both substitutions in a side-by-side comparison with the traditional recipe and share the results.