Decisions, Decisions

Savory or sweet? What shall it be? These questions nag at me when I am trying to decide on an accompaniment to my tea. The answer turns out most of the time to be dependent on not easily explained gastronomic/physiologic urges; the tea chosen is often a minor consideration. I do concede, however, that a hearty black tea calls for a pairing with some delectable sweet. But a green tea like sencha can accompany mandarin orange thumbprint cookies with as much ease as it can with salty crackers studded with poppy seeds.

The richness of a sweet pastry, redolent of creamed butter and eggs, is heartily welcomed after some strenuous snow shovelling today. As I piled the snow onto the quickly growing snowbanks flanking the sidewalk of our house, I pleasantly anticipated the taste of a crumbly cookie alongside Rishi's Ancient Snow Buds, a wonderful Chinese green tea. I think that my natural sweet tooth combined with a falling blood glucose level both conspired to the above decision.

I hate to admit it, but there is something slightly plebeian about the savory treat when compared with, say, the opulence of a chocolate eclair even if its salty counterpart is a beggar's purse filled with aromatic shiitake mushrooms. For me, the primeval salty snack is the childhood memory of the large bag of Doritos , so addictive and guilt-inducing. However, I can easily put that compunction aside now and finish off that bowlful of wasabi peas with relish.