Odd and Interesting foods (was Re: SC - food bashing)

[Catherine Deville]

I said:
> I tried it in tea (both of which I take like any good Angolphile,
> > with *cream* and sugar, when they're hot at least.)

and Gwynyd corrected me :-)
> I beg your pardon!  Cream?  In tea?  This is not the way it is done!  My
> understanding is that it is milk in tea and cream in coffee.  I wouldn't
> dream of having cream in my tea (unless it is the totally delectable
flavour
> caramel tea - that needs cream!).

I'm sorry... in my family cream and milk are used interchangably to flavor
both coffee and hot tea but when flavoring coffee or tea the substance is
generically referred to as "cream" even when it isn't  (much like my family
always says "butter" when they mean either butter or margarine, considering
them interchangable.)  This may be simply because my mom is from a poor
country family that raised milk cows and it may have depended on which was
most available at the time.  I know that in my youth we never had cream in
the fridge, so we used milk in both coffee and tea even though my mother
preferred cream in her coffee (she doesn't drink hot tea.)  So I was being
imprecise here.  I do more generally use milk than cream because I only buy
cream if I'm going to be carrying it to work (I buy the little containers
that don't need refridgeration rather than use non-dairy creamer at work.)

Not realizing that the English differentiated was just ignorance on my
part.  When I was in England, one of my anticipated delights was that I
knew that I would not have to bear the strange looks of waitresses who
looked at me funny when I ordered cream (instead of lemon) with hot tea.
Then I got to Victoria station and stopped at my first kiosk and ordered
hot tea with a baguette for breakfast and the attendant looked at me and
(no s--t, this is a *true* story), presumably based on my "Yank" accent,
offered me lemon!  "No, No!  I said, with *cream*" and she didn't correct
me.  I guess because she just figured I was an uneducated Yank.  So I never
paid attention to the fact that it was milk instead of cream.  (Yes, I know
that there's a difference in taste, but it's minor and I don't have a
defined preference so I guess I just don't really notice it.)

Thank you for adding to my knowledge. I had no idea that when I "indulge"
myself with cream instead of milk that I was doing it "wrong" <g>.  On a
different list it might not have mattered, but you are correct, on *this*
list I should be more precise :-)

> Obviously, no insult is intended in my expression of horror here

none was taken :-)  although I did find it humorous ;-)



> - I just
> find it strange to have an "anglophile" taking cream in tea (which
reminds
> me of a Next Generation scene where Data is trying Picard's favourite
tea,
> Earl Grey, and orders it from the replicator specifying "cream" - Picard
> corrects him and tells him that one has milk in tea.  Now, while this is
> true, one should _never_ adulterate Earl Grey this way!  Lemon and a
touch
> of sugar are the only acceptable additions to this divine tea.)

gee!  I somehow missed that scene!

actually, <blush!> I *do* take milk or cream in my Earl Grey, unless, like
now, I'm ill (sinuses) and shouldn't have diary products... then I take it
with just sugar.  i would feel that lemon would be too much citrus-y taste
to it and would adulterate the taste of the bergamot more than milk does.

just btw... which brand do you use?  I lean towards Twinings, but "Republic
of Tea" now puts out an "Earl Greyer" which is just divine, IMO.

I remain, in service to Meridies,
Lady Celia des L'archier