Food Storyist.

Tea : Revolution Tea Bag, White tea with pear : Caffe bene in Korea

Cafe : Caffe bene
Size & Price : Regular & 4,000won

Main Ingredients: white tea, sweet pears and natural pear flavor
Nutrition Facts : 0 kcal

Variation : white strawberry tea
Similar Product : white tea in cafes



Foodstoryist Review

white tea

white tea is a lightly oxidized tea grown and harvested almost in China, primarily in the Fujian province. White tea comes from the delicate buds and younger leaves. These buds and leaves wither in natural sunlight and then dry by sun, air or machines, and finally become white tea. It gets through just slight tea fermentation processing(or unfermented).
The name “white tea” derives from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which gives the plant a whitish appearance.

Taste : Its color is quite brownish in spite of a short fermentation. It smells like lightly brewed darjeeling, delicate dark grass scent. Clean and clear finish. It gives just a little tannin, but soon buried in brewed grass flavor. If you are not a big fan of tea, you might be confused between light darjeeling and white tea. As mixed with pears, it somewhat gives fruity taste and a bit of sweetness at the end

Pros : When you drink white tea at the cafe, here is a good news. You can refill the water as much as you want. Although the taste is not the same as the first shot, it is quite satisfactory. (It’s not an official rule, but most caffe bene seems to provide free hot water. If you are brave enough to ask the second round, why not? I always do it.)

Cons : It tastes bland in a huge glass mug. Referring to the white tea articles, tea-bag of 2g should be brewed in 100~200 ml of water. The white pear tea served in Caffe bene is 1.65g, so it should be brewed in less than 200ml of water. The intensity of tea might not be important for some, but those favor of tea can be disappointed with its weak flavor. I suppose Caffe bene wanted to offer quantity of tea for customer content. I think It takes risk dissatisfying picky tea drinkers. I suggest to Caffe bene providing choices of intensity of tea to consumers, so that its white tea satisfies all customers.

Food Pairing :

Pancake with maple syrup and white tea
White tea contains a bit of tannin. Even though it’s less bitter than black tea, it still tempts you to eat something sweet. But, of course, not extremely sweet thanks to pear fruity scent. It pairs up with pancakes with a few drops of maple syrup. You bite one piece of pan-cake, then drink warm white tea. You enjoy the fragrant harmony of light tea and sweet maple. It’s a good mild breakfast with adequate sweetness.

Tea : Revolution Tea Bag, Bombai Chai Tea : Caffe Bene in Korea

Bombai Chai tea ★★★★☆
봄배이 차이

Cafe : Caffe bene
Size & Price : Regular & 4,000won
Main Ingredients: cinnamon chips, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and Asam
Nutrition Facts : 7 kcal

Variation : black tea

Foodstoryist Review

Color : As dark as brewed Assam

Taste : I can smell various spicy and flowery scents from it. I feel as if I am drawn to mysterious exotic place. I imagine myself sitting on the colorful carpeting with indian costumes in the animation film aladdin.
Sniffing into the cup, I smell incense burning and shove myself somewhere in middle east country. I become an explorer who just claws my path through the crowded and hectic street market.

Sipping a bit, flowery perfumed water just floods into my mouth. I just enjoy a morsel of splendid journey. I want its feeling to stay longer, so I keep tea inside my mouth for a long time. When it expires its flavor life, I just let go into my throat.
 
Tannin is less than I thought. It tastes clean rather than bitter although tea was based on Assam. Haha, of course, as I let the tea bag inside, it becomes like a poison. I had to put out of it when it’s brewed enough.

   

Cons : As I mentioned above, it goes strong and bitter as time goes by. It’s nature to be thicken. I was able to put it out, but they didn’t give me a tea bag tray, so I had no choice but to let it stay in the cup. I hope Caffe bene provides tea bag tray for customer.

Food Pairing :
Pineapple pie and Chai

You cut a piece of pineapple pie. You smell sweet pineapple, buttery pastry and pungent cinnamon scent all together. When you just melt as pie melt in your mouth. You sip a cup of Chai. First, the spice odor of Chai meets cinnamon of the pie. Then, the Assam tea cleans up all mixture of them. Enjoy the exotic and luscious harmony!