Choripdong

This is not going to knock your socks off: it’s asian grocery bagged tea, $5 for 100/ct. But it’s a cheap and convenient way for me to drink genmaicha at work, and it does the job. Brews deep yellow, uncomplicated and smooth in flavor, holds up well to accidental oversteeping, with little astringency or dry mouthfeel.

This tea comes in huge sachets. I mean HUGE. You need a really big mug (or pot) to brew it. But it smells exactly like perfectly roasted corn, with all the nice charred bits of husk on the outside.

The taste is smoky, sweet, and immensely satisfying — especially on single-digit-degree days, when you’re freezing. A big mug of this and a huge bowl of whatever warm food makes you happy (congee, porridge, stew, soup, whatever), and you’re good. Or at least, I am. NOM.