Ethnic tea offers tempting tastes: Jacobus tea event a success

(Article taken from The Stute and written by Caryn Connolly)

At the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, the Ethnic Student Council arranged an International Tea on Thursday, Oct. 6 to spread culture to the students of Stevens. The organizers of the event were the Chinese Student Association (CSA), Indian Undergraduate Association (IUA), Pakistani Student Association (PakSA), and Roost, the Russian Organization of Stevens-Tech.

Several members of the eboard of Roost were on hand. According to Vasudha Nekkanti, “The event is supposed to give the whole campus an opportunity to try teas from different cultures.” Ross Goltser was in charge of making the tea. Goltser used an electric samovar filled with water with a small pot on top which contained a lot of tea with a little bit of water. As the steam from the samovar rose through holes in the top, it heated the small pot and brewed this strong, bitter tea. Andrei Kuzin explained the different snacks they’d provided to the hordes of students who made an appearance for the event. The Polish chocolate wafers were very popular. Several pie-like cakes, including cream cheese filled and cherry, were available. Most surprising of all was the selection of Helva—a Middle Eastern food that is a part of Russian culture.

The CSA supplied Bubble tea, which is like a smoothie with tapioca balls in the bottom. The almond, coconut, and honeydew flavored drinks disappeared quickly. Most were gone by 8:30. The secretary of the CSA, Michele Carunchio, assisted with the event. When asked how she became involved in the CSA, Carunchio stated, “I went to China over the summer and thought it was really cool. . . . I’m interested in Chinese culture.”

Chai tea and Kahva were also available to students.

Jeremy Connors decided to stop by for some Bubble tea. “I’m a big tea drinker. I drink all different kinds. I came to learn about Russian tea.”

Overall, the event was very successful, drawing a large crowd to Jacobus and introducing the students of Stevens to new types of food and drink.

An inter-cultural tea festival, or evening, sounds just the right cup of tea (sorry, I honestly couldn’t think of another turn of phrase!) now that the evenings have turned dark and winter is closing in. Despite being involved in the teapot world and drinking tea our entire lives, I imagine many of us are unaware how other cultures take their brews. If any of you, members, or your local areas organise any tea events, please email Cardew Club Blog so that we might give you a little spot in the blog and keep others that might be near your area in the know. Likewise, if you’ve already held an event and feel like sharing a report and photos with us, we’d love to hear from you!