Collegio Online

Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: Front Page

Media Credit: Aaron Anders Duke Walter and Rosa Evans-Lombe play Chinese Checkers at the International Student Association tea party. The party included many types of tea, entertainment and games from all around the world. They met at the United Methodist Campus Ministries Center on Saturday, Feb. 2.

Media Credit: Aaron Anders Ni Zhang from China visits with American Shawn Balk during the International Student Association's "Teas Around the World" event.

Guampa and oolong teas may be hard to come by in the United States, but they weren't for Pitt State students who attended "Teas Around the World."

The International Student Association-sponsored event granted students and members of the local and surrounding communities the opportunity to experience native teas and customs from Paraguay, China, Japan and Korea.

The event, held at the United Methodist Ministries Center on Saturday, Feb. 2, featured entertainment, games, traditional teas and snacks. An enthusiastic musical performance by Yu Hung-Ming, of Taiwan, kicked off the event.

Hung-Ming was energetic enough to walk across a table while belting out favorites like "Hey Jude" and "Stand by Me."

Xiao Wu, international student from China, brewed oolong, which Wu described as a middle ground between black tea and green tea.

"Oolong tea is between black and green tea," Wu said. "The smell is like green tea, the taste is like black tea."

Black tea goes through an oxidation process before it is packaged; green tea does not. Oolong has a delicate floral taste, which was reinforced by the presentation of another Chinese tea brewed from flowers in a coffee pot.

Students Luis Pereira and Evelyn Yambay served native teas from Paraguay.

"We drink guampa when we hang out with friends," Yambay said.

Cocido is prepared by combining sugar and yerba matte tea leaves in a frying pan (although the tea is traditionally "cooked" over hot coals) until the sugar melted and boiling water is added. As a result, the tea is bittersweet and has a strong, earthy flavor.

Pereira and Yambay also served guampa, a traditional cold tea consumed in the intense heat of Paraguay. Guampa is shared among friends in an unusual vessel.

"Rather than a steel cup, we generally drink it from a bull's horn," said Pereira.

When offered guampa, it is customary to drink all of the vessel's contents from the straw or bombilla.

While no bull's horns were present at "Teas Across America," students still packed the Methodist Center, sipping tea from plastic and Styrofoam cups.

"Teas Around the World" was organized by Shiho Itooka, Japan, International Student Association President and Meltem Tugut, international program coordinator.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools