green tea

People seem to forget that tea is made from leaves. This is understandable, considering that most of us drink tea from bags, and what sits in those bags looks more like powder than any kind of leaf I've seen. My aunt brought back loose green tea from China; it looks like pine needles. Once it's steeped, though, the leaves have unfurled and the tea is so simple and splendid. You can taste that you're drinking something brewed from leaves - there's an earthy satisfaction it gives you.