Day 1: Canterbury, England
You know what they say- the more things change, the more they stay the same. As I jump into VeganMoFo and begin blogging about my culinary adventures here in England, the first thing that popped into my head was to blog about the perfect cups of creamy tea I've been enjoying. Well guess what- my very first VeganMoFo post last year was about... creamy tea! Specifically, chai lattés.
But I digress. Here in England, tea isn't tea unless it's creamy- most people add milk to their tea, although quite a few up the ante by using cream. As a vegan, I've learned to love and appreciate black tea, but being here in England has stirred up cravings for a creamy cuppa. And guess what- the soy milk here is SO GOOD. It creates the perfect, smooth, luscious, creamy cup of tea- I was actually quite amazed. The soy milk I'm used to back in the states just isn't quite the same, taste-wise or texture-wise.
Now I'm at the point where I'm having at least 3 or 4 cups of steaming creamy black tea every day. In the top photo you see me with my morning cup. In the middle photo, you see a carton of Marks & Spencer soymilk (and my foot). This was during the sky dive, and I was excited to see that my friend Lucy, herself a vegetarian, had carried this with her all the way from London just so she (and I!) could enjoy a proper cup of tea. On the bottom photo, you see another tasty brand of soy milk - So Good- and the cup of tea that it has been poured into. I don't bother adding any sweetener to my tea, since the soy milks are already sweetened. They have a flavor that's hard to describe- burnt sugar, perhaps, or toffee- but a flavor that I'll miss once I'm back in the U.S.
At first I was concerned that these milks are somehow less wholesome than their American counterparts, but after comparing the nutrition information, and seeing that the calories, vitamins and minerals are all the same, and that my soy milk actually has more protein than Silk, my mind is at ease.
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22 comments:
You make your tea sound so good! I think I need to have a cup right now...I always used to put milk in it when I was little, but I have gotten used to having it without. I think I need a cup with some soy or almond milk in it right now!
I am looking forward to your posts this month!
Courtney
Happy Veganmofo! Tea sounds pretty good right now.
I've found that although a lot of things don't have flashy badges promoting them as supplying some specific vitamin or it's naturalness it's often healthier and less chemically then it's American counterpart.
And I do recall getting strange "are you crazy?" looks from people when I mentioned I drank my tea without any milk.
That first picture is wonderful!It's so funny your first MoFo's are tea... now it's a tradition.
I'm so looking forward to reading about your sojourn in England! What a great start!
soya, baby!
glad to hear the UK soy milk is so tasty. phew!
i love the morning picture bazu... it's priceless. :)
I think the first photo says "cuppa tea, my one and only!" It really looks amazing - and to think, I've never had the pleasure of creamy tea. It seems a crime after reading your post. Hope England is treating you well, Bazu!
Looks like a great beverage!!
Continue enjoying your time in England!!
Come home! *sob*
We have So Good in Canada! I had no idea it was British, car-razzzzy!
Hope you're enjoying your time across the water, Bazu. :-)
I love the European soy cream I get - I will have to try it in tea. I have been using it in recipes.
ooh! must try european soy cream! it sounds really good-burnt sugar/toffe-esque? yes!!!
Ah yes, the creamy, thick So Good. It's one of our main brands here in New Zealand too.
creamy tea sounds deelish right now!
After living in England for 4 years, my dad still enjoys milk (though now mainly soymilk) in his tea! I am determined to give tea a try... maybe for mofo!
oh, how i miss it!
man..why does EVERYTHING in america have to suck? i love a good dash of soymilk in my tea, but now i feel like i'm missing out, haha...
The idea of a burnt sugar or toffee type flavored soymilk is positively fascinating! I would miss it, too, if I had to leave it behind. Maybe you can mail some to yourself before you leave the UK!
bazooooo!
i'm glad you're settling in ok.
xo
kittee
Glad you are enjoying the UK so far and finding it vegan-friendly :-) But cream in tea?! I haven't lived in England for 5 years (I'm from Kent - near to Canterbury), but I've never heard of that, milk (or lemon) for tea and cream only for coffee. My mother would be shocked ;-). Course I've been drinking everything black for years now. Hope you have a great stay.
AW, Bazu! That pic of the big cuppa on the (deep, British) windowsill, with a view of the iron railings outside makes me SO HOMESICK for England. In fact, I'm just going to put the kettle on now!
And it's totally true--you really do get the best tea in the UK, there's just something inherently superior about it. As for the soymilk, I really like Alpro; they also make the best, creamiest soy yogurt I've ever had. Enjoy, and please keep posting!!
1st of all - your hair = so cute!
2nd, I'm loving your tea pictures. When we moved to London, we started drinking tea (with milk) multiple times per day. We even had to buy a tea kettle when we moved back to the states just to keep up with the habit. Mmm...tea!
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