From Coffee to Tea: A Caffeine Odyssey

Pre-travel me was not a big tea drinker.  It was pretty much just coffee.  Not that I don't still love coffee, but post-travel me acknowledges that pre-travel me had no idea what the hell she was missing.

Since leaving China I have been in deep mourning for milk tea, specifically Coco's Milk Tea, a beverage chain from Japan.  For those you who are not familiar with milk tea, I both am piteous of you, and equally envious.  I pity that you have never had the ambrosia that is this extra sweet, perfect blend of milk ,sugar, and tea.  I also envy the fact that you don't have to live your lives without it, having tasted it.  Milk tea comes iced or hot, and it is a black tea mixed with large amounts of condensed milk and sugar, with an option to add tapioca pearls to it (bubbles).  It's sweet, caffeinated, delicious and terrible for you; I love it.

For those of you that live in China, Japan, Taiwan, NYC, or San Francisco, do me a favor?  Go to your local Coco's and order their bubble tea and drink one, for me.  Thank you, and also I hate you, just a little.

Now, despite the desperation in the above paragraphs, I had pretty much resigned myself to never have this beverage ever again.  I'd gotten pretty zen about it--I had it while I had it and I loved it and now it's gone.  The end. Dwelling would be pointless.

The one and only CoCo's. 

Well, I have encountered recently milk tea's Arabic cousin: Karak.  And its just about the greatest thing since...well, since milk tea.

Karak Chai (literally strong tea) is popular in the Gulf region, although its origins lie in India and South East Asia, and is also referred to as Masala Chai.  The flavor varies by region, depending on the types of spices added, and the the mount of each spices.  Here in Bahrain (and elsewhere) cardamom is the prevalent spice (among many others my uncultured taste-buds cannot discern other than to appreciate its combination as a whole).  It is blended with spices, condensed milk, and a ton of sugar.  And next to milk tea, it's the best thing ever.  I actually think if you poured it over tapioca bubbles, I could die happily.

The best thing about this tea is that just down the road (because everything is basically just down the road in Bahrain--its a very small island) there are several Karak places.  And the best thing about many of these stands is that all you need to do is roll up, park (or double park...or just pull slightly over to the side and throw on your hazards), lean out the window and wave your carafe.  This will alert one of the employees to your desperate need for Karak.  He will come over and take the carafe and for about 2.35$ refill the whole darn thing.  And then you drive away to wherever you are going and enjoy your Karak.  If you are not feeling like a Karak-starved maniac, you can also order a single cup.  Which, diabetically speaking, might be the better option anyway.

You drive up, you shout over, they brink you tea, you bring your tea home...victorious. 

I don't think I've met anyone who dislikes it yet.  I was initially concerned because cardamom is not my favorite spice, but it just works.  I would not leave Bahrain without trying this tea.  And dang, but I am going to miss it when I eventually leave.