Ochazuke: Tea and Rice Soup

Ok...I know this Japanese dish will sound very strange to westerners...but it is delicious, I promise. Absolutely one of my most favorite meals. Ochazuke means Tea-pickle. Its essentially rice with pickled vegetables and tea. It takes little time to make, and is very filling.

Rice
Genmai cha, Hoji cha or Jasmine tea. Oolongs might work...but japanese tea's will work the best.
Pickled Vegetables
Some Flavorings: spices or dashi or a little stock


Optoinal Toppings:
Some Rice crackers or Arare
Soy Sauce
Nori (toasted seaweed)
Cubed Tofu
Fried Egg
Peas
Green Onion
Ume Boshi (pickled plum)
Bean Sprouts
Toasted Sesame seeds
Wasabi (horseradish)
Rice vinegar
Bonito flakes (flakes of tuna)
Furikake (rice sprinkles?)
Fish
Konbu (a type of seaweed)
Shiso (a purple herb that is sort of like basil and oregano)
Jako (tiny dried fish)
Left over steamed vegetables
Pieces of steak....

Basically any asian stuff you have lying about. You could also just buy a Ochazuki flavor pack, like this one, thats how most japanese people make ochazuki now-a-days.

Pickled Vegetables:

You can buy them in the store, or make them yourself, which isn't hard.

1.) Thinly slice up about a cup or so of some veggies or fruits, in either in round or match stick shapes: carrots, radishes,plum, celery, ginger, cucumber, peach, turnips, eggplant, pineapple, cabbage, peppers, etc.
2.) Put the veggies/fruits in a plastic bag.
3.) Add in 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 Tbs. sugar and 3 Tbs. rice vinegar.
4.) Close the bag with some air in it and shake it up!
5.) after the veggies are well coated push the air out of the bag and close it.
6.) place a flat plate on top of the bag, and place a weight like a large can on top.
7.) Let the whole thing sit for 3 hours or even over night.
8.) Rinse off the veggies. You should be left with something that is crunchy, sweet, and acidic all at the same time. (japanese pickles-sokusekizuke- are not like western pickles at all, and if you've ever eaten those bright pink ginger slices with sushi, you've had pickled ginger!)

These pickles are good for about the same length of time as fresh fruit, 2-7 days.

Ochazuki:

1.) Scoop some rice in a bowl
2.) Put toppings on rice
3.) Pour Hot tea over rice and toppings, the same amount you might put in cereal.
4.) Eat.

Masala Chai

Masala Chai means "spiced tea" and in hindi (many american places call this drink Chai Tea, which is redundant) and it is becoming very popular world wide. I love Chai. Its delicious, spicy, sweet and even people who hate conventional tea will drink masala chai. Here's the recipe I use:

Darjeeling Tea
Cardamom
Ginger
Cinnamon
Cream/soy cream/ condensed milk

1.) Boil some water in a pot along with the spices.
2.) When the water boils, turn off the stove, and then add the Tea/tea bags
3.) Let the Tea brew for 5-10 minutes. (depending on how strong you want your tea.)
4.) Pour into a glass making sure to strain out anything loose.
5.) Add some cream + sugar or condensed milk
6.) Drink

Thai Tea

One of the most delicious things ever invented by man. You just can't know until you have some. You can get this stuff in instant packets or make it the traditional way. Either way it will be good.

Thai tea (you should be able to find this in an asian market, or online)
Water
Cream/soy cream
Sugar

1.) Put about 3 tsp of thai tea into a tea strainer/bag
2.) Boil the tea in 2 cups of water for about 5 minutes
3.) Add sugar to taste
4.) top off with cream.
5.) For the iced version put the tea in the fridge and then add ice and cream when its cold.

Be careful with this tea, it will stain anything it gets on.
3.)

Sweet Tea

Sweet tea is a popular drink in the south. Its served everywhere, from fast food places like McDonald's to Cook-outs. You can't go to a house down here without finding a jug of Sweet Tea in the fridge. But what's so special about it you ask? Isn't sweet tea the same as ice tea with some sugar?

No. Its not. And there are 2 reasons why. First, the ingredients and secondly, how its made.

Orange pekoe tea,
Real sugar (any other sweetener gives it a strange taste),
Baking soda (cuts out the sourness of the strong tea brew)
Spring water (Water with high amounts of chlorine makes a bad tea)

Most of the tap water in the south comes from springs. Its humid in the south and the ground is saturated, so springs are everywhere. I myself have a well connected to my house which supplies us with fresh spring water.

1.) Boil 4 cups of water
2.) Add 2 big tea bags of pekoe tea (most people use luzianne tea, a tea who's soul purpose is to make sweet tea)
3.) Let it steep for a good 12 minutes.
4. Add 2 cups of sugar and a dash of baking soda and dissolve it into the tea.
5.) Pour the tea into a jug, I use old juice jugs but pitchers work too. Add water to the tea to fill it up the rest of the way.
6.) Refrigerate the tea and when its ready to be served filled a glass up half way with ice and then add the tea. Garnish with a lemon.

Tea Milkshake

I'm a huge fan of tea. Its fantastic. And I'll probably talk a lot more about it.
Here is a milkshake recipe of something I make fairly often that is really really delicious.

Cold Tea
Ginger
Vanilla Ice-cream
(or soy cream)

Blend the tea, ice-cream and ginger in a blender. Then eat.

Here are some combinations I've found that are really good:

White tea with peach
ginger
vanilla ice-cream

Rooibos Tea
mango
ginger
vanila ice-cream

Black Tea
Cinnamon
Vanilla Ice-cream

Black Tea
Pomegranate juice
Lemon Sherbet

Mint Tea (spearmint and peppermint)
Chocolate ice-cream

But there are probably hundreds of combinations you could try. :)