[Sca-cooks] Re: Tea

[Louise Smithson]

Can't keep quiet any longer.
As a native of Britain living in the US there are several things
different about Tea service:
#1: The tea itself.  It doesn't matter how you brew it Lipton will
always be the most disgusting dregs of Tea ever foisted on an
unsuspecting public.  It is nasty nasty nasty, high tannin and yucky
bitter.  It has to comprise of the lowest leaves on the bush.  In the UK
if you just ask for tea you generally get PG tips or Tetley.  Both of
which are yummy and made from a much higher grade tea.  Tetley is broken
orange pekoe and I can't remember what PG tips is but they use only the
top two sets of leaves.
#2: As already discussed the water temperature, in the UK the tea bag
is added to the pot and topped with boiling (or nearly boiling) water.
My mother had a cafe at one point and we had a hot water generator for
the tea that delivered the water really close to boiling.  It makes a
huge difference.
#3: OK milk is a personal preference but growing up I was always given
tea with milk.  Usually strong and milky with plenty of sugar.   I will
drink black tea, but it has to be a specific variety, e.g. lapsang
souchang, oolong, jasmine, green.  They just don't work with milk, but
everything else gets a healthy splash of milk (added to the cup first of
course).
#4: You will be lucky to get a decent cup of coffee in England but  the
first thing anyone does when you walk into their house is put the kettle
on and offer you a cup of tea.  Trust me take the tea, the coffee is
almost invariably instant and at that point you need the milk and sugar
and all the adulterants you can add.
Personally I prefer Early Grey, from a specific Tea merchant in Bath,
not even Twinnings comes close to their blend.
Hey Olwen, how did you like that Tea?
Helewyse