Tuesday, July 23, 2013

How to Make a Proper Cup of Tea

Still Life with Teapot, Cup and Fruit, by Émile Bernard, 1890

Open Culture has a post quoting George Orwell and Douglas Adams giving advice on tea.

Orwell has an 11-point process from 1:
First of all, one should use Indian or Ceylonese tea. China tea has virtues which are not to be despised nowadays — it is economical, and one can drink it without milk — but there is not much stimulation in it. One does not feel wiser, braver or more optimistic after drinking it. Anyone who has used that comforting phrase 'a nice cup of tea' invariably means Indian tea.
to 11:
Lastly, tea — unless one is drinking it in the Russian style — should be drunk without sugar. I know very well that I am in a minority here. But still, how can you call yourself a true tealover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally reasonable to put in pepper or salt. Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter. If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water.
and he concludes:
It is worth paying attention to such details as warming the pot and using water that is really boiling, so as to make quite sure of wringing out of one's ration the twenty good, strong cups of that two ounces, properly handled, ought to represent.
Douglas Adams explains "The Americans are all mystified about why the English make such a big thing out of tea because most Americans have never had a good cup of tea. That's why they don't understand" and has much simpler advice that begins with this:
Go to Marks and Spencer and buy a packet of Earl Grey tea. Go back to where you're staying and boil a kettle of water. While it is coming to the boil, open the sealed packet and sniff. Careful - you may feel a bit dizzy,
People can be serious about their tea!

[Bleubeard and Elizabeth are hosting T Stands for Tuesday, a regular event.]

20 comments:

  1. What a fun way to honor tea. I really enjoy all these posts you create that show us "Americans" how to brew a perfect cup of tea. And of course, I'm sure I've never had a proper cup of tea, since I don't own a tea pot or kettle for heating the water. And I've been told the microwave doesn't heat water properly for tea.

    Love what you have done. And I agree that some are truly serious about their tea.

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    1. i think a "proper" cup of tea must have a full tea service, and i'll never have that, so i'm making do with what tastes good to us lol. i do get a kick out of instructions from people who know what they're doing.

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  2. Super T post ...
    we could not get over what great tea we had traveling all around Great Britain...piping hot served in tea pots even at casual eating spots!

    Earl Grey is on the top of my fav teas list and I do enjoy sniffing it very much ;)

    Happy T day to you
    oxo

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    1. i like sniffing the earl grey better than drinking it these days. i think the bergamot has gotten stronger through the years.

      i love hot tea served in tea pots but have trouble finding it places here.

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  3. I'm glad I don't have to make them a cup of tea

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  4. Great post! beautiful painting at the start...great idea! ...guess since I usually drink herbal tea that I'm one of those Americans who hasn't had a 'proper' cup of tea. that Earl Grey is pretty strong stuff for me, but I DO drink it without sugar!

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    1. thanks :) i like the herbals teas, too. i leave sugar out of my hot drinks, although i do sometimes drink sweet iced tea.

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  5. Love the simple way to make tea! :) Although I used to drink the real stuff eons ago....loose leaves, proper teapot and all. And of course, no sugar! Great painting. Have a good week. Hugs

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    1. i still use loose leaves some, but i have my share of bagged tea, too. and, as you say, no sugar! lol

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  6. I enjoyed you post on making the proper cup of tea. As for me, the water must be boiling, no sugar,skim milk. I love the a lot of different teas with the exception of the greys.

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    1. i like a variety, too, but i can't find any of the greys that don't have too heavy a hand with the bergamot. i used to drink earl grey regularly, but either the teas or my tastes have changed.

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  7. Aaah, a proper cup of tea... in a cup and saucer, poured from a warmed pot... yes, that's the way to do it!! LOL Annette #1

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    1. there's something to be said for doing a thing as it's supposed to be done ;)

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  8. This writing about "proper tea" is so interesting. We do drink Indian loose leaf tea (from a nearby Indian market) most of the time. Never any sugar or milk. Still, I'm not sure we are doing it to the standards of Orwell. I like Earl Grey once in awhile. The bergamot smells wonderful to me.

    Darla

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    1. indian tea from a nearby indian market! i'm jealous!

      i'm betting none of us can live up to orwell. gives me a standard to aim at, though.:)

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  9. ahhhh.....Earl Grey. One of my favorites and I always have it in my cabinet. I once dated a man who wore Grey Flannel cologne which has similar undertones. The scent of Earl Grey always reminds me of him.

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    1. sweet :) i do like the smell. i didn't realize there was a cologne that was similar. i'll have to check that out.

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  10. I stopped taking sugar at the beginning of the year and I must admit to missing it and not drinking half as much tea as I used to, drink more hot chocolate now...popping over from Elizabeth's tea party

    (Lyn)

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    1. i used to drink sugar in tea. i'm not quite sure when i stopped doing that. i only drink hot chocolate in the winter, but i like it then. i'm enjoying elizabeth's tea party fun :)

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