This is a small thing that turned out not to be small. I drink a lot of tea, and getting a decent cup here took me an embarrassingly long time to sort out.
The first problem was the leaves. What is widely available is mostly aimed at a different style of drinking, and my first attempts using it the way I would at home produced something thin and disappointing. I now bring leaves back when I visit, and I have found a couple of shops here that carry something close enough for everyday use.
The second problem was water, which I did not expect at all. It behaves slightly differently from what I was used to and the same leaves brewed differently. I adjusted the amount and the steeping time and got most of the way back.
The third problem was milk. This one took the longest. The options here are not quite the same and it changes the result more than you would think. I eventually settled on one that works, after buying a lot of small cartons and being disappointed repeatedly.
What I would say to anyone in the same position: it is worth the effort. For about a year I drank whatever was easiest and did not think about it, and I did not realise how much I had been missing until I got it right again. There is something about having your own drink made properly in your own kitchen that makes a place feel like yours.
The other unexpected outcome is that I have become interested in the local tea culture, which I initially treated as a completely separate thing. It is different in almost every way, and going to a proper place for it was one of the better afternoons I have had here.
If anyone has found good sources for leaves, I would be grateful. And if anyone wants to argue with me about milk, I am ready.
#srilanka#tea#livinginjapan
