Posted by Ethne~
Well, I am loving everything British this week. What’s more traditional than a proper cup of tea? Good thing I have an insider in the fam who keeps me hooked up.
There are several brands the locals (as in across-the-Atlantic locals) use – my fave is PG Tips, which comes in little pyramid-shaped bags. And guess what? I can buy it at my local grocery store. It’s not the thriftiest, but since my Brit brother Rich keeps me stocked, I haven’t had to patronize Cub.
First, you need to boil your water properly. What, you ask? Isn’t this elementary? No. It’s not. You must start with cold water. I have a teakettle (I checked at Macy’s and you can get pricey ones! but mine is from Target), but I also have an electric kettle that works for me. The second key to boiling water for tea is to not allow it to come to a full rolling boil. This just takes a practiced ear. When I can hear it getting close, I pull the plug and the water’s perfect. You want the water piping hot, but not too hot or you’ll scald the tea leaves.
 |
| My stuff - sweet teacup from Rich's Mum Red teapot from Whit |
Next you place the teabag into your cup. I have no tips for doing this correctly. You’re gonna have to go with your gut.
 |
| PG Tips pyramid bag - for maximum steepage |
Pour the water into the cup, about 4/5ths of the way to the top. I leave a little room at the top to allow for milk, which I prefer with my tea.
 |
| Goin' in hot! |
According to Rich, it’s especially proper to steep the water and teabag in a teapot. I have a lovely red one from Whit and it’s FAB. But since I usually only make a cup of tea for myself (Shaun’s definitely a coffee guy), I forego this propriety. NOTE: if you use a teapot, you may need to use extra teabags so it’s strong enough. Also, when I make tea from loose tea leaves (a la Teavana), my red teapot has a built-in strainer.
One of the trickiest steps is getting the tea steeped just long enough to be strong, but not too long or it becomes bitter and gets cold. I know what the proper look of the tea is when it’s steeped perfectly and, for me, it looks like black coffee; it’s not black, but a dark chocolate brown.
 |
| Perfect color |
If I’m not standing over the tea watching it steep (which is never), I use my cheater method, which is to set the clock for 5 minutes. When it buzzes, it’s done and I take that tea bag out!
[THRIFTY NOTE: Some people re-use their tea bags for a 2nd cup, which is a great thrifty idea. I don’t. I don’t think the 2nd steeping makes the tea strong enough.]
You can dress your tea however you’d like. For my PG Tips, I like either 1 teaspoon of regular sugar or 1 Splenda tablet. Is Splenda proper you ask? Why yes – I have my pack of Splenda tabs from Rich’s friend and London resident, JS. Rich says that if you’re really posh, you use a lump or cube of sugar. One lump, or two? I’m a one-lumper.
 |
| These tabs are from London! |
I am not certain how much milk I add. Probably between 1 and 2 tablespoons. I basically know it’s right when, as I pour, the milk flushes back up to the top of the tea like a cloud. Don’t forget – it’s proper to use milk, not cream. I use 1% because that’s what we buy.
 |
| Milk flushing perfectly to the surface |
I have a couple other tea favorites. Earl Grey tea – with honey instead of sugar. And I take it up another notch with Teavana’s Earl Grey Crème – pretty much the best tea on Earth. Lipton’s black tea is great and costs a couple bucks for a lot of bags – that’s your thrifty bet. If I'm looking for caffeine-free herbal tea, I like chamomile, Teavana's Peach Tranquility/Honeybush Vanilla or their Swiss Vervaine Melange/Honeybush Vanilla.
 |
| The girls modeling my Teavana tin |
With options like these, who needs smelly old coffee? Actually, it's the smell of coffee I like. It tastes horrible.
 |
| Close call - almost spilled from the ruckus behind me |
When I’m up at 3 am to start my wedding-watching, you can bet I’ll be sipping some tea – straight from across the sea – and staring down my lovely sapphire and diamond ring from Shaun (yes, my real one) and the other from Wills. I’ll almost be there. Almost.
No comments:
Post a Comment