Five Flavors Kitchen

"Tea, Earl Grey, Hot"

Green tea, Shanghai, April 2008

We often divide the world into two opposing camps: vegans  vs.omnivores, anchovy vs god forbid anchovy pizza and those who will see the new Star Trek movie vs those who will, unfortunately, not. 

For the truly obsessed there are a number of references for Star Trekkian foods. There is a Star Trek cookbook and numerous posts where one can find assorted Klingon recipes and the secrets of Vulcan Yorakar, ears optional. For me though, the most memorable food reference in all of Trekkidom is  Captain Picard's association with Earl Grey tea.  Kirk, could have his Romulan Ale, but Picard's iconic replicator request has lasted though the time space continuum and more importantly for our purposes, has provided a vital link between Star Trek and Chinese Medicine. (Ok, if we pushed it we could probably link up quadro-triticale in the Trouble with Tribbles as well.)

A lot has been written about tea and by now everyone knows that it's really good for us. It's good for the heart, it protects against cancer and it even works as a facial product. The distinctive aroma and taste of Earl Grey (yes, named after the 2nd Earl Grey who lived in the 19th century) comes from the addition of oil of Bergamot. Bergamot is a small citrus that is a cross between a lemon (Citrus Limetta) and the sour orange (Citrus Auranteum). Tea, camilla sinensis, cha ye in pinyin, is a commonly used substance in Chinese dietary therapy and herbal medicine. Especially in the green form it is bitter,  sweet and slightly cold and is thought to promote digestion and stimulate the spirit. It affects the heart, lungs and stomach. Citrus auranteum, is pungent and regulates qi. Lemon peel opens the chest. So the bergamot flavored tea  stimulates, supports and regulates the Qi all at the same time - great for any Star Fleet officer and for the rest of us not wearing the funny outfits. If it weren't for Earl Grey, who knows if Picard would have survived his encounter with the Borg - something to think about as we manouver through our own alien universes.

 Live long and prosper!

Buen Provecho

Bread Bag, Buenos Aires, April 2009

Sometimes I think we miss the point. Consider the USDA "food pyramid". There are endless discussions on the virtues of the various elements including the proportions of grains to nuts, what constitutes a "serving" and the presence or absence of animal products. In developed countries world wide there is an attempt to promote health through better diet. While in Argentina, I wondered about local ideas of what constituted a "good diet".  Then I saw it - right there on the bread bag, #10: "enjoy your meal while talking to others." Perhaps it's not just that we are what we eat, but also we are how we eat.