Mad about FOOD

Starbucks turns the spotlight on to my all-time favorite drink: green tea.

My penchant for green tea dates back to the middle of 2001, although I had been a habitual tea drinker even way before then. During my first month in Germany, where I was to stay for 14 months on a scholarship, I quickly gained 5 pounds. It must have been due to the availability of so many chocolate brands (I wanted to try them all) and the huge portions of food that were served to us by the French-German chef at our learning center-cum-dormitory. Bottomline was, I couldn’t fit into my clothes anymore. And because clothes are very expensive abroad, I had to find an efficient way to lose the excess weight. My research on the net had led me to green tea and how it helps speed up the metabolism. Since then, green tea has become my ally in health and fitness.  Not once did I get sick for the duration of my stay in Germany. And, thankfully, I’m still not obese despite my love affair with food. Now I can honestly say I won’t last a day without a hot cup of green tea. And I also love anything green tea–shakes, ice cream, cakes, shower gels and even Elizabeth Arden’s green tea perfume (though I’m allergic to scents).

    
This month, Starbucks’ featured drinks are the blackberry green tea frappuccino and the green tea latte. I have not given them a try, but the original green tea frappuccino is the main reason why I keep coming back to Starbucks. It is a delightfully addictive concoction of green tea leaves blended with cream, which balances the smoky flavor of green tea to give it a not-so-bitter taste. 

                                                                                            Love that Bearista!

To complete the green tea experience, Starbucks is also offering green tea cheesecake and the green tea loaf to go with the drinks. The cheesecake is out of the equation for me, so I sampled the green tea loaf (P50/slice) instead. The swirl of green color makes it so appetizing for me, and it tastes quite good. With only the faintest hint of green tea, it’s perfect with the frappuccino or maybe even the latte. I’m looking forward to having the green tea latte or the blackberry green tea frap one of these days.

Here’s a peek at a couple of pages from my 2007 Starbucks planner, which I made into a scrapbook/food diary of sorts:

          
(At left: me and my Bea (then 7 months old) at Starbucks-Araneta Coliseum; at right: me and my Bea again at the Starbucks-Araneta Coliseum exactly 2 years later)

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