Found an interesting article in the local paper about trends in tea drinking, and wanted to bring them up here. Maybe you've already heard about these. The title of the article is Teerapie, which is a mix of the German words for tea and therapy.
One thing I like is that the author reports on a thriving tea culture in Vienna, which I was surprised to find last year. He introduces us to Bubble tea, which although I've read plenty about, I have yet to try. According to the article, there are hordes of teenagers drinking wild shades of these tea-based concoctions in the epicenter of coffee culture.
Not just for youngsters, there's also a more traditionalist streak in tea shops. Not just in Vienna but in Munich, as well. The German speaking world is trying Matcha not just as a beverage, but sprinkled on ice cream and as a spice in a variety of rice dishes.
The biggest trend that the writer supports is that tea is growing in popularity while the demand for specialty coffee is actually decreasing. He specifically cites the example of American tea drinking and quotes Wired magazines pronouncement that 'Tea is the New Coffee'.
There's already quite a substantial business in Germany. 18,000 tons of tea annually and growing.
The article ends in the shadow of the Stephansdom back in Vienna. Hass und Haas is a wonderful place I took my mother for tea. If you asked me to list the stereotypical trappings of a traditional afternoon tea, this place had all of them. No matter where the trends take us, there's still plenty of room for a bit of tradition.
Bubble tea - wonderful stuff. But be wary of the tendency for it to be sold as "milk tea." I've found that most places it's milk, a flavored syrup (usually sickeningly sweet), and a bit of green or black tea, with the boba (bubble tapioca) thrown in the bottom. Almost like drinking a frappuccino. I make a point of ordering it without milk and flavoring - just the tea and boba. But then, I'm a bit of a purist.
ReplyDeleteThanks for another great article!