2014 03 20 TRADITIONAL KOREAN TEA CALLED YUJACHA FOUND IN MY ASIAN GROCERY STORE

EVER SINCE I GOT BACK FROM MY ASIA TRIP, I'VE BEEN EXPLORING THE ASIAN FOOD STORES AND THE ETHNIC AISLES IN GROCERY STORES A BIT MORE CLOSELY.  MY TASTE BUDS ARE INTRIGUED!  SEEING AND TASTING FOOD FROM ABROAD HAS SPARKED MY INTEREST IN DISCOVERING WHAT WE HAVE AT OUR LOCAL GROCERY STORES. 

ALTHOUGH I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO KOREA (.....YET),  MY LATEST OBSESSION WITH THE KOREAN CULTURE HAS SENT ME EYEING ON THIS PRODUCT EVER SINCE MY LAST NEW YORK TRIP AT HMART AND ALSO TO FIND MORE ABOUT TRADITIONAL KOREAN TEA. THANK GOODNESS THE ORLANDO ASIAN GROCERY STORES CARRIES THIS.  

TO DRINK, SCOOP A SPOON FULL AND POUR HOT WATER TO DISSOLVE.
I AM A HUGE FAN OF HOT WATER WITH LEMON.  YOU GET THE VITAMIN C AND ALL THE MYSTERIOUS BENEFITS OF DRINKING HOT/WARM WATER.  PLUS, NO SUGAR = NO CALORIES.ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS HAS FRUCTOSE.  SO, I AM THINKING NOT TO OVERDOSE ON THIS!

IT LOOKS LIKE JAM OR MARMALADE EXCEPT THAT IT IS A BIT MORE ON THE SYRUP SIDE.  MAKES ME WANT TO TOAST A BREAD AND THROW SOME ON IT.  BASICALLY, IT HAS THIN SLICES OF CITRON PEEL IN IT TO EAT IF YOU WANT TO ABSORB ALL THE NUTRIENTS.  IT TASTES LIKE A REALLY SWEET VERSION OF HONEY AND LEMON WITH A HINT OF CITRUS PUNCH (IN MY OPINION).  TASTES LIKE A REALLY SWEET FRUIT TEA, WITHOUT THE TEA.
OF COURSE THE SWEETNESS CAN BE CONTROLLED BY THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOU PUT IN TO DISSOLVE.

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FOUND OUT THAT TRADITIONAL KOREAN TEA IS CALLED: YUJACHA.  

TRADITIONAL KOREAN TEA MADE FROM THE CITRON FRUIT OR YUJA.

SUPPOSEDLY ORIGINATED FROM CHINA BUT MADE IT'S WAY TO KOREA AND JAPAN.
IT IS A KNOWN REMEDY FOR COLDS AND FLU.
USE TO BE USED AS A NATURAL REMEDY FOR SKIN IRRITATIONS.  
IT CARRIES 3 TIMES MORE VITAMIN C THAN A LEMON.
REJUVENATES MATURING SKIN
ACTIVATES CELL AND FAT BURNING EFFECT.

LOOK IT UP, IT DOES THE BODY AND SKIN REAL GOOOOOD.

2014 02 15 LAST DAY FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR

THE LUNAR NEW YEAR LASTS 15 DAYS SINCE DEC 31 (FOR THE YEAR 2014 - IT VARIES EVERY YEAR).
LAST DAY FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR FOR 2014 IS FEB 15.

HERE ARE THE LOCAL FIRE WORKS FROM THE TEMPLE FROM NEW YEAR'S EVE NIGHT.

THIS IS WHAT I FELT LIKE THE WHOLE 2 WEEKS WHILE THERE WERE PLENTY OF NEW YEAR RELATED COMMERCIALS AND VARIETY ON THE ASIAN CHANNELS, AND VARIOUS WAYS OF FOOD AND CELEBRATION YOU CAN THINK OF IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF ASIA CELEBRATING THIS HUGE HOLIDAY.

I WAS UP-FRONT AND HAD CENTER VIEW OF THE FIREWORKS THAT WAS PRODUCE BY THE TEMPLE IN ORLANDO.

IT LOOKED LIKE VIBRANT LOUD SPARKLE AND GLITTER IN YOUR FACE!

2013 01 31 MY CHINESE NEW YEAR'S EVE IN ORLANDO

Guang Ming Buddhist Temple                      

6555 Hoffner Ave, Orlando, FL 32822

(407) 281-8482

PERKS TO BEING ASIAN?

WE TEND TO CELEBRATE THINGS TWICE, SUCH AS BIRTHDAYS AND NEW YEARS!

ALTHOUGH I DON'T REALLY CELEBRATE ANY HOLIDAYS THESE DAYS, I WAS SUMMONED (BY MY PARENTS) TO THE GUANG MING TEMPLE ON HOFFNER AVENUE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE.  

THIS HOLIDAY USUALLY LASTS FOR 15 DAYS AND THE DAYS ARE DICTATED BY THE LUNAR CALENDAR.  YES, WE GO BY A DIFFERENT CALENDAR AS WELL.

FOR 2014, THIS HOLIDAY FALLS UNDER JAN 31 - FEB 14.  

WITHIN THESE 15 DAYS,  YOU TYPICALLY CELEBRATE IT BY GOING OVER PEOPLE'S HOUSES AND EATING LARGE FEASTS (LIKE A THANKSGIVING FEAST), WISHING EVERYONE YOU ENCOUNTER ALL THE POSITIVES THAT YOU CAN THINK OF, AND IN RETURN, COLLECTING "LUCKY MONEY" THAT ARE USUALLY DISTRIBUTED BY MARRIED COUPLES WHO ARE OLDER THAN YOU. SO IF YOU ARE SINGLE, IN THE NON-MARRIED SENSE, THIS HOLIDAY IS IN YOUR BENEFIT! LOL!

IT IS JUST PLAINLY TRADITIONAL CUSTOMS WHERE THE IDEA IS FOR KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS TO START OUT THE NEW YEAR WITH SOME SORT OF WEALTH.  SINCE THIS IS A HUGE HOLIDAY IN ASIA, I FOUND OUT THAT SOME PLACES SUCH AS TAIWAN STRETCH IT TO A 4-DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY.

EVEN THOUGH MY VISITS TO THE TEMPLE ARE RANDOM, I LIKE LOOKING AT THE SET UPS CATERED TO THE DIFFERENT HOLIDAY THEMES. 

OVERALL, I ENJOYED THE FESTIVE DECORS.

THIS SET UP WAS NICE WHERE PAINTED GOLD BRANCHES WERE PLACED BEHIND THE STATUE AND VASE FOUNTAIN ON THE GROUND.

I WAS WONDERING IF THE GOLD DECORS ON THE GROUND WERE CHOCOLATE......