My Green-Tea Epiphany

Last Friday night I quickly stopped by the new tea shop Tafu New York in midtown NYC to sample their exceptional Japanese teas, including the toasty, rich-tasting Shiny Slim, a genmaicha that mixes green tea with roasted brown rice. It was one of the best teas I've ever tried. Then I bolted, with some iced Shiny Slim in tow in a stainless-steel Tuff Mug by Zojirushi, a Japanese brand known for their excellent rice cookers. I plopped the trim Thermos into my bag and immediately forgot all about it. I went to a several hours-long dinner, then to another spot for dessert, then to bed to catch up on my sleep debt for the week. I woke up—17 hours after getting the Tuff Mug—ruing the fact that I'd probably wasted this amazing tea. After a bit of deliberation, I decided to drink it anyway, thinking the worst that could happen would be a mild stomachache. But instead of some lukewarm tea, I was shocked to find ice cubes still clinking away. And of course, some fantastic iced green tea.