Have you ever read a food blog? If your answer is no, here is one for you. WeirdMeat.com is an online journal that was started a few years ago. Basically, the blog records the author’s experiences of eating strange foods around the world, and his observations of how different cultures feel about food. So far, the author has tried snakes, scorpions, spiders and nighthawks. Just as the author says, “What is weird (奇异的) to one might be normal to another.”

Many of the things on the author’s weird-meat list might sound horrible to us. For example, ostriches are cute birds, but people in Iran make big ostrich sandwiches, supposed to be the world’s largest sandwich. If you are tired of eating meat, you can try “lemongrass giant crickets (蟋蟀) with Thai spices”. They go well with salads. If you enjoy the crispy texture of the crickets, you might want to eat several. How about some “turtle shell jello”? You might have heard of it though you’ve never had a chance to try any, “Gui Lin Gao” (turtle jelly) is Chinese. It’s a popular dessert in summer and usually served cold. It tastes like Coca Cola, and it is also said that the mixture is good for the skin. And in Bangkok, the author has tried all kinds of insects, including white ant eggs. A soup is cooked with ant eggs, larvae, and baby ants, and you may find that the ants’ little black eyeballs are staring at you while you eat the soup. “Awesome” is the word the author uses to describe the flavor. He couldn’t wait to have another bowl.

Want to find out more? Visit the weird meat blog, and maybe you can also add one or two things to the list.

How long does it take you to make a cup of tea? Forty seconds, if you press the tea bag against the side of the mug. I’m not judging — that was me until recently, and we are not alone. Only 4% of people in the UK make their tea from leaves, and it seems the rest of us are missing out.

I’ve dipped in and out of tea over the years, and have never taken it quite as seriously as coffee, but this long holiday seems as good a time as any to up my game. Previously, I’d been put off by the complexity of the process, but it turns out that a proper cup of tea from leaves doesn’t have to require a whole lot of tools. The game-changer for me was tea-ière, which is a bit like a cafetiere (咖啡壶).

So, where to start our new adventure? The obvious answer, particularly this New Year weekend, is China, which is to tea what France is to wine. The country produces every imaginable style, from delicate green tea to refreshing jasmine tea. If you’re used to black tea, it’s probably best to begin with the rich oolong. And if you’re already into tea, prepare yourself for the mind-blowing puerh, which, according to my note, tastes of forest floor with a slight smell of shoe repair shop, and which, you’ll be relieved to hear, is a lot nicer than it sounds.

It’s worth taking the trouble to get the basics right: the amount of tea, the quantity and temperature of the water, the ideal infusion (浸泡) time and, above all, pouring every last drop of tea from the pot.

And if none of these will drag you away from tea bags, try loose tea leaves at least once infused for two to three minutes and see if you notice a difference. Watching those leaves magically spread out and thinking about what you are drinking is strangely comforting in a bitter winter.

“If you are cold, it will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are exhausted, it will calm you.” The poem best identifies the passion for tea in Britain. Outside of the United Kingdom, many people refer to afternoon tea as “high tea”. Afternoon tea, also known as low tea, is what most people think of when they hear “high tea”. It involves things like manners, lace(蕾丝) and light meals such as cookies and finger sandwiches. It is typically served in the mid-afternoon and it was traditionally served on low tables, therefore its two names.

Legend has it that afternoon tea was started in the mid-1800s by the Duchess(公爵夫人) of Bedford. Around that time, kerosene(煤油) lamps were introduced into wealthier homes and eating a late dinner( around 8 or 9 p.m.) became fashionable. This increasingly late dinner was one of the only two meals each day, and the other was a mid-morning one. The story goes that the Duchess found herself with a “sinking feeling”. This came from hunger during the long wait between meals. She decided to invite friends over for various snacks and tea. The idea of an afternoon tea gathering spread across high society and became a favorite pastime of females for leisure. Later, it spread to other social groups.

However, the British working population did not have afternoon tea. They had a meal about midday, and a meal after work, between five and seven o’clock. This meal was called “high tea” or just “tea”. Traditionally eaten early evening, high tea was a substantial meal that combined delicious sweet food, such as cookies, cakes or tea bread, with heavy food, such as cheese on toast, cold meals and poached eggs on toast. This meal is now often replaced with a supper due to people eating their main meal in the evening rather than at midday.