Tea

On cold winter days like today (face it: fall is long gone already), I want nothing more than to curl under a blanket and sip some tea or hot chocolate or another warm beverage. I'm not a coffee fan though. If I were to prepare my own coffee, it would be mostly milk and sugar. The only coffee beverage I like is this homemade pumpkin latte recipe my roommate introduced me to. It's fabulous and I don't even like coffee or pumpkin much!
I like coffee shoppes generally. Those are everywhere though. Doesn't it seem like in some cities, there's a Starbucks on every corner? In Madison I've found a couple really unique spots--tea houses. While both near-campus locals are wonderful, I have a particular fondness for Dobra Tea on State Street. It's right across from The Chocolate Shoppe (icecream place--yum.) I went there last week to catch up with a friend. They had hundreds of teas to choose from. After much deliberation, I decided to go with a type of Mate.
Yerba Mate is something about Argentina culture that gets me excited.
It's a type of caffeinated tea beverage that is enjoyed among friends almost ceremoniously. It is served in a gourd with a metal straw (bombilla). This tea shoppe on State was authentic! It was delightful sipping mate from a gourd. I can only imagine how much better it will be when I am sharing it with Argentine friends who can show me how to prepare my own.