Starbucks socks

Spotted in Seoul: Starbucks socks. I’m pretty sure that the company did not license these, but they’re very cute. I didn’t buy them at the time. I kind of wish I had, though!

Coffee Jelly Caramel Frappuccino from Seoul

I have to say that I was a little bit surprised that there wasn’t anything too exotic on the menu at Starbucks in Seoul, Korea, where I was last week. Not that I was expecting to see a kimchi-flavored frappuccino, or anything like that, but I did hope that there would be something to make me say “wow!” other than the Seoul City Mug I added to my collection. The closest I came was with a Coffee Jelly Frappuccino. This is essentially a regular frappuccino with a whole lot of coffee-flavored gelatin at the bottom of the drink. It’s a lot like having an espresso-flavored jello shooter. The flavor is excellent and it really did a lot to improve the overall coffee flavor of the caramel frappuccino I ordered it in.

The only small criticism I would make is that it was disconcerting to suck up firm jello through a straw. It came out in squiggy lines that reminded me a bit of gummy worms (but tastier)! Still, the flavor gets two thumbs up. I just might try it with a spoon next time.

Cheonji Dew Tea, reviewed

It’s been too long since I reviewed a tea, but since I’ve been traveling to Seoul, South Korea this week, I’ve had a chance to try a few new ones. This one is Cheonji Dew Tea, which I bought from a shop in Insadong, although I did see it at several other stores. The name of the tea itself, according to the woman at the shop, was Iseul Cha, or Dew Green Tea. The tea is a green tea that comes from one particular mountain area. The tea doesn’t look like leaves. It actually resembles small, soft branches or sheets of bark, each piece of which can be used for several pots.

The “ah-ha!” moment here comes when you first taste the tea. It is very, very sweet – almost like someone has stirred a lot of honey into your tea without changing the consistency of it at all. And all that sweetness is completely natural! It is absolutely delicious and the tea is also caffeine free.

The woman at the shop told me that it’s very popular with children, especially children who don’t normally care much for plain tea.

Tea for 2 Set

This Tea for 2 Set is a little silly, but extremely cute. It’s a bunny-topped teapot sitting atop two matching teacups. The bunny lid is actually a tea steeper, so there is some function to the form here.  That said, I’m not going to trade in my regular strainers or teapots for this set. This is primarily because this set is a bit small for me. I actually think that this would make a great gift for a child, given the bunny peeking out of the top. It’s a chance to enjoy (i.e. be exposed to) some more interesting, loose-leaf teas and still have a whimsical tea party with mom, dad, grandma, or an imaginary friend.