November can be a pretty stressful month for many. End-of-semester exams loom on the horizon, holiday preparations begin in earnest, and the chilly winds of winter start sweeping through, sapping energy and darkening moods. Everyone should have something they can turn to for relaxation during this hectic time of year, and for me, few things are more soothing than a nice, hot cup of tea. From the moment the aroma of fresh lemongrass and spearmint hits my nose, the haze in my mind is cleared away like fog from the surface of a lake.
You know what else I find relaxing? Wandering through Faron Woods in Skyward Sword. Who could feel stressed while exploring such a lush, verdant locale filled with Kikwi, the squishiest and most huggable forest creatures ever imagined? I love these cute little critters to pieces, and what I learned about them recently just made me adore them more: all six members of the clan are named after different types of tea! I couldn’t call myself a tea enthusiast if I let that one slide, so without further ado, let’s grab our mugs and dive right in!
Machi
Machi, the Kikwi we meet at the very beginning of our Faron Woods expedition, is an earnest, quick-witted young lad with a more mellow demeanor compared to those of his nervous fellows. What could be his secret to staying alert to danger, yet maintaining his composure more effectively than his peers? Perhaps he has been drinking three daily cups of the beverage from which he derives his name: matcha, a type of specially-grown green tea that is ground into a fine powder when processed. It contains high levels of both caffeine, a stimulant to enhance cognition, and theanine, an amino acid responsible for reducing stress, which would make it perfect for a vulnerable forest creature who needs to be both vigilant and calm in order to live his best life. Just don’t give him any green tea ice cream; it’d probably keep the poor boy up all night.
I should mention at this point that all of the Kikwis were given different names in the French localization of Skyward Sword, and almost all of them correspond to herbs important to French culture and cuisine. In France, Machi is known as “Pirsel”, which is derived from persil, the French word for parsley. Parsley is one of four herbs considered essential to haute cuisine, since it imparts a mild flavor and lovely aroma to dishes intended to be delicate and refined. It’s too bad that the other three young Kikwi aren’t named after chives, tarragon, and chervil, or else we would have had the perfect Easter egg to make the most delicious omelette!
Lopsa
It seems that every time a monster rears its ugly head in Faron Woods, cowardly little Lopsa scampers up the nearest tree as a means of refuge, stranding himself until help comes along. He will need to learn how to get down on his own, so the next time he finds himself trapped, perhaps someone should build a fire out of pinewood and smoke the fella right out of the tree! Or, at the very least, they should use this pinewood fire to smoke some tea leaves and prepare a brew of lapsang souchong, a special black tea that originates from the Wuyi Mountains in southeastern China. With its unusual savory flavor profile and smoky aroma, lapsang souchong is a highly versatile commodity; the leaves can, of course, be enjoyed in the form of a robust tea, but they can also be boiled in soup stock, mixed into a spice rub for meat, or sprinkled onto dishes that need some extra seasoning. Maybe the allure of some delicious food spiced with lapsong would be enough to convince Lopsa to confront his fears? The world may never know.
Upon arrival in France, Lopsa swaps tea leaves out for flowers by calling himself “Jasmi”, short for jasmin. Jasmine flowers are brewed with tea leaves in East Asia to create a delightful beverage, but in France, it’s all about the fragrance. The essential oil extracted from Jasminum grandiflorum is an ingredient found in many famous French perfumes, contributing an intoxicating scent that relaxes the nerves and creates a calm, dreamy atmosphere ideal for falling asleep. Perhaps it would even be powerful enough to lull those nasty Bokoblins into a deep slumber? Lopsa, your best line of defense was hiding in plain sight this whole time!
Erla
I’ve always had a particular soft spot for Erla, since his little leaf mustache and hair tufts make him look adorably dapper. When I first met him, his appearance prompted me to imagine his dialogue delivered with an English accent, and now that I know which tea he was named after, I’ll never be able to imagine him any other way. Earl Grey tea, most likely named after British Prime Minister Charles Grey, has unclear origins, with one popular legend claiming that a Chinese mandarin gifted the blend to Lord Grey as a reward for saving his son from drowning. The signature ingredient, bergamot oil, gives the drink distinct citrus overtones that tame the bold flavor of black tea. Thanks to pop culture, Earl Grey has gained a reputation as an elegant beverage that all proper English gentlemen enjoy; the classy Jean-Luc Picard is one such individual whose propensity for ordering “Earl Grey, hot” has become a famous character trait. Who knew that Erla was so sophisticated? All he needs now is a monocle and a cane, and he could almost certainly pass as a duke.
Sir Erla retains his air of culture and good taste on his trips to France, where he adopts the moniker “Basil” (from basilic). Basil is a sweet, peppery herb often used fresh in recipes, since its flavor is so delicate and could easily be lost in the cooking process. It also plays the starring role in the production of pistou, a Provençal condiment closely related to Italian pesto, only without pine nuts. I grow my own basil every year, so I can tell you from experience that basil can make any ordinary dish feel like a fancy dining experience (it pairs especially well with roasted tomatoes).
Oolo
Oolo’s nifty mohawk may seem indicative of a chill, laid-back personality, but in truth, this poor fellow appears destined to suffer a life of perpetual discomfort and isolation. Whether he’s cowering behind bushes in Faron Woods or shrinking away from the probing gaze of a curious Skyloftian botanist, little Oolo is always ill at ease, unable to find a safe, quiet place where he can settle down and make a home. His struggles are very reminiscent of those that his friend Lopsa deals with on a daily basis, but it turns out that they share one other interesting thing in common: the Wuyi Mountain Range, the birthplace of lapsang souchong, is also famous for its premium oolong teas. Much like how Oolo withers under the glares of large, intimidating creatures, oolong is made by withering tea leaves under direct sunlight prior to the oxidation stage. This process has many variables that can be adjusted along the way, which is why the oolong tea family covers such a wide spectrum of complex flavor profiles. Each variety has special requirements, just as each little Kikwi has his own special needs. So don’t be discouraged, Oolo; somewhere out there, there’s a perfect home just waiting for you to find it.
Though, I could be wrong. Maybe what Oolo needs isn’t a change of locale, but a complete reinvention of his identity. Maybe adopting the name “Romar” would be a good place to start? Romarin, the French term for rosemary, is quite the robust herb. Even though it prefers a temperate Mediterranean climate, it is capable of surviving extremely frigid temperatures and can weather long drought periods, making it highly adaptable to other environments. Rosemary’s astringent properties make it a popular choice for folk remedies; one such concoction, known as “four thieves vinegar”, was even believed to protect against the plague. Oolo may not feel comfortable in his own skin, but maybe as Romar, he’ll be able to tap into his inner strength and take the world by storm!
Bucha
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this before, but Bucha, the kindly patriarch of the Kikwi clan, is quite the big boy. Not only does he completely dwarf his younger kin, but apparently even Zelda herself is able to use his prodigious girth as a handy springboard. But how in the world does he manage to maintain such an impressive physique? Does he follow a strict bodybuilding regime? Did he borrow a mushroom from Mario? Or perhaps he’s been drinking large quantities of the powerhouse drink known as kombucha? You’ve likely seen this commodity lining the shelves in the health food section of your local supermarket, but just in case you don’t know what it is, kombucha is basically just black tea that has been inoculated with a SCOBY, a type of microbial food culture. This ferments the tea, transforming it into a bubbly, mildly alcoholic beverage. It’s quite tasty and refreshing, but what really draws most people to kombucha are the purported health benefits; probiotics are touted as potent cure-alls, able to treat the symptoms of various maladies. The jury’s still out on that one, but if it’s true, then I can certainly see why Bucha is so mighty!
Bucha’s lovely French name, “Lorion”, is likely meant to be a derivative of laurier, or “laurel.” The laurel family of trees and shrubs is quite vast, but I think that this name is specifically meant to reference the species Laurus nobilis, also known as the bay leaf. Bay leaves are essential to French cuisine, used to impart a pungent flavor and aroma to soups, stocks, and grilled meats alike. Whole dried leaves are large and incredibly potent, so one is usually all that a dish requires to get the intended effect. It’s quite fitting that Lorion’s namesake herb would be as powerful and imposing as he is, and interestingly, this connects him to another dignified Zelda character: King Daphnes from The Wind Waker, who also derives his name from laurels. Now there’s some deep lore for ya!
Yerbal
People who lead solitary lives do so for a variety of reasons. Some individuals actively choose this lifestyle, like ascetic monks seeking nirvana, while others fall into it due to unforeseen circumstances. The elder Yerbal belongs to the latter group, as he became a hermit simply because he climbed up the Great Tree and couldn’t get back down again. To this day, he remains separated from the rest of the Kikwi clan, and I think that the brew he is named after is meant to reflect this isolation. Unlike the other teas I’ve spoken about thus far, which are all prepared with leaves from the Asian Camellia sinensis shrub, yerba mate is a member of the holly family that originates from South America. The drink known as maté, traditionally consumed by Native Paraguayans, is made by steeping dried yerba mate leaves inside a hollowed-out calabash gourd. The beverage is marketed as “mate tea” when sold in grocery stores, but it doesn’t technically count as a true tea since it’s not made from Camellia sinensis.
France also seemed to recognize Yerbal’s status as a loner, since he is known as “Hibistus” (a variation on hibiscus) in their version of Skyward Sword. Hibiscus, which flourishes in tropical regions like Jamaica, doesn’t feature prominently in French culture; it’s usually just one of many plants included in mixed herbal infusions. But you know what? At the end of the day, none of this should matter. Yerba mate and hibiscus may be the oddballs of their respective groups, but they’re both uniquely delicious concoctions that I highly recommend trying! Same goes for Yerbal: even though he doesn’t fit in with his fellows, he’s a quirky, funny, and extremely helpful fellow who deserves just as much respect!
Now that I’ve surely lulled you to sleep with all my talk of tea and herbs, allow me to throw the ball back in your court. Do you enjoy tea? If so, what kind? What are some things you like to do to relax? Feel free to discuss down below, and please, remember to practice self-care as you navigate this stressful time of year. Cheers!
