The Cottage Smallholder

If you ever come to Japan, don't bother to order tea in most coffee shops and restaurants. Apart from the fact that it's usually Lipton's el cheapo tea from the States, they have no idea how to make it here. What you will get is a cup of tepid pale brown water, often served in a beautiful tea cup!

The problem comes from the way Japanese tea is made. Depending on how the leaves have been cured, the optimum temperature is about 85C, and the water is poured through the leaves. So they just make tea (known as black tea here, I suppose in the same way that what we call green tea is just called tea in Japan) like that. Hot water in which they dip the teabag! It is totally undrinkable.

In Mcdonalds here, they give you a cup of hot water, and the tea bag separately, so by the time you've paid, found yourself a place to sit and managed to undo it and get it in the water, the temperature will have dropped amazingly. I have taken to grabbing the teabag off the tray while I am still at the counter, and putting it in the cup before I even get my money out. This is not always a popular move

It's particularly surprising because when you go to a department store, the shelves are FULL of expensive brands of tea. Fortnum and Mason, Fauchon, and other big names. Friends can't believe that I had never drunk anything like that in England. Then in the supermarkets you find the dreaded yellow Lipton box.

Starbucks is not too bad. They at least know that tea has to be steeped, and offer you your mug with the teabag still in it. However, I don't go there often as a cup of English breakfast tea costs about L2.50 (sorry, no pound sign on my keyboard).

I have to try Yorkshire Tea, as everyone is raving about it! Is this a brand name? I manage to get by on PG Tips teabags (not very nice recently) and Waitrose teabags. Waitrose has a tie-up with a Japanese supermarket chain. There are only a few products here, but luckily I can get Waitrose baked beans.

One tea I really miss is Jacksons Earl Grey. Jacksons has been taken over by Twinings, and as they already had their own blend of Earl Grey, they discontinued the Jacksons one. Such a pity, as, at least for me, the Twinings one tastes artificial and overwhelming. Jacksons was the original and four generations of my family grew up with it! I think Twinings introduced a new 'Jacksons' Earl Grey at one point, but it used African and Indian tea and the flavouring was different.

Must go. I have a cleaner twice a month and today is her 'day', so I have to clear up before she comes!!!

Liz