Tehtarik

After years of snobbing this truly Asian drink, milk tea or tehtarik has finally arrived on our shores courtesy of Lipton and that commercial featuring Sam Milby and Bianca Gonzales. A Malaysian friend introduced me to this drink when I first visited Kuala Lumpur some 6 years ago. I was instantly drawn to its rich texture and the ceremonies that go into making the drink. Nothing fancy really, it just involves a long nosed kettle, boiling tea, and condensed milk. I like the semi-bitter aftertaste and the fullness of its flavor once it hits the palate. I just hope that pinoys will take to it like I have.

On being Asian

Culturally, I think we are at a crossroads. Sometimes I feel that we, as a nation, are so confused when it comes to our cultural heritage. No surprise there really, years and years of colonization by different invaders can do that to a country. At this point of our nationhood however, I think we can no longer cite that as an excuse to be acting the way we do. Where we are located for example should be a very good starting point. We’ve had decades of self-rule, and by now we should have already come to grips with our Asian roots.

But while we declare that we are Asians, the way we act and react still screams Western. It has been years and years and yet we show no indication of ever growing more Asian. We are in fact growing more American. While our Asian neighbors have leveraged on their being Asians to spur growth and pride in their identities, we still flail around trying to capture what exactly are those things that define us as a country and as a people.

I hope the arrival of the tehtarik on our shores is an indication that we are finally embracing our Asian heritage.

[ photo credits: Tehais.com / Yuffy.com ]