Making Blue Markethi
The Eleven Teas
No matter where in the universe you go and what planet you visit, you will always meet a few dozen cultures that thought of dipping leaves in water to brew their version of tea. If it isn't toxic to the sapient species of a particular world, they tend to gravitate towards plants that have caffeine and strong flavors. In the case of the Regalti, they use a plant known as Markethi.
This Tea can be produced in eleven different ways, known as Tarven Markethi, each way corresponding to a different color, and a different emotion. Each of the methods involves preparing and aging the leaves in different ways. In the case of Blue Markethi, the skin of freshly matured leaves is peeled off and discarded (or used to make Cyan Markethi). The pulpy insides of the leaves are crushed into a fine paste, which is then dried and aged. The paste falls apart into a fine powder and appears as deep blue to indigo in color.
In this form, Markethi has little flavor, which is intentional. When chilled the flavor of the tea comes out, but before then, various fruits and spices can be added in to change the flavor profile before chilling. This form of Markethi is often made in the winter.
Blue Markethi - Moon Tea
Several different types of Markethi have complicated tea ceremonies that take years to fully master with deliberate actions that most people will never understand or fully appreciate. Blue markethi's 'tea cermony', if it could be called that anymore, starts with a pot of near boiling water.
The host takes three scoops of water from this pot using a wooden ladle, and pours it into a container roughly a liter in size. More complicated versions of this ceremony involves carefully scooping blue markethi powder into a square cloth, then tying the cloth to a string and suspending it into the container of water. Simpler versions involve simply adding pre-measured paper tea bags.
Traditionally, while the tea is brewing, the host lays out a selection of ingredients to add to the tea and each guest picks one. The ingredients are usually fresh or dried fruits, raw sugar, and more exotic ingredients including peppers. The ingredients are meant to mix together with the tea and it sets the mood for the evening. The Guests can also choose to have the host add the ingredients themselves.
After the ingredients are added, the tea is chilled in one of several ways. As this tea was traditionally brewed in the winter, the container was set outside where it quickly chilled within one to two hours. In current times, a freezer works just as well making it possible to make this tea during the hot summer months. While the tea is chilling, guests are treated to a meal by the host. At the end of the meal, the tea is brought in and served with desserts.
In a society like the Regalti's where no one has time for anything anymore, there is generally no 'tea ceremony' anymore for blue markethi. Instead it is prepared well ahead of time and is often served while consuming the main meal. It can be ordered in restaurants where multiple varieties are offered at the same time. Canned varieties exist. There are also instant tea brewing machines where a plastic container can be loaded and a perfectly mixed and chilled blue tea can be created in a matter of minutes.
There is one instance where the traditional blue markethi cermony is still performed in full. During the Winter months, on the last full moon before the solstice, an elaborate ceremony is performed by priestesses at the Temple of Sevi, who is the goddess of the moon. A number of extra steps are performed where the markethi is ritualistically purified. This also happens to the water used as well as all extra ingredients. After the ceremony, the tea is buried in snow and not uncovered until sunset on the solstice, where it is consumed during a ritual that thanks the gods for guiding the Regalti through another year. A large feast is held after.
Comments
Author's Notes