Israelis are in love with mint - "nana" in Hebrew. When you order tea at a restaurant, 95% of the time the waitress assumes you mean black tea with a sprig of "nana". In grocery stores, the mint section in the produce aisle is as big as the lettuce section in the United States. You can find mint ice drinks (similar to TH Slushies) on menus. Mint is used as garnish. To sum it up, Israel is a haven for mint lovers.
Despite this cultural appreciation for mint, I have not yet found the Lancaster County version of mint tea for sale.
Growing up Mennonite in Lancaster County, Meadow Tea was a favorite summertime beverage. The name originally came from going out to the farm meadow to find a patch of mint in order to make this refreshing drink. Now, most people in the area have a patch of mint growing in their flowerbed or garden..and the meadow tea tradition lives on.
I made my first batch of meadow tea this afternoon! The world really isn't that big. To be in Israel drinking a local drink of Lancaster County...it felt very nice indeed. The fact that you can make meadow tea 365 days a year is a real bonus for life in Israel. :)
1 comment:
KIM: (June 10, 2008) I just cut the mint tea and I am going to make lots of tea-lemonade concentrate and freeze it. That is your favorite tea , Right?
Glad you found mint tea way over there, so you can keep on enjoying it. :) MOM
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