The Perfect Cup of Tea-British Style

Submitted by Little Bee

"I had a rommate for 6 years who was from England. One day he told me jokingly that he loved this country but "we Americans just don't know how to make a proper cup of Tea" He felt it was his duty to teach me how and he was right! This is the only way I will drink my Tea now. It is really more of a method than a recipe. After careful instruction on how to prepare the proper cup of tea I asked him whether loose tea leaves make a better brew than a tea bag. "Loose tea will always taste better," he said, "but, not so much better as to outweigh the convenience of the bag. What's more important is the type of tea that you choose." "In Britain, the standard supermarket tea bag makes a much stronger and more robust brew than your American tea." He said the closest tea bags he ever found over here that approach the quality of their everyday blends are those marketed as English Breakfast. My friend always made his Tea with lowfat milk and sugar. Explaining "Most English drink tea with a little milk, but never with cream or the high-fat milk that Americans put in their coffee. Low-fat milk is a much better choice. "Make sure you use white sugar. Brown sugar might be OK in coffee, but somehow it never tastes right in tea. As for putting honey in tea, if you tried to do that in Britain, you'd be laughed out of the tea shop." Many thanks to Chris for showing me how to make the perfect cup of tea!"

 

• Ready In: 3mins
• Ingredients: 4
• Serves: 1

ingredients

• 1 twining's english breakfast tea bag
• boiling water
• 1 teaspoon low-fat milk (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (or to taste)

directions

1. First, you have to boil the water - don't just heat it, boil it. Second, add the boiling water to the tea bag, not the other way round. - putting the water in the cup and adding the bag to it - is a recipe for disaster. Unless the water is at boiling point when it makes contact with the tea, the tea will never properly brew.
2. Make sure the cup or pot is nice and hot before you start. If necessary, rinse it out with near-boiling water. And keep it covered while the tea is brewing.
3. Leave the bag in the water for at least two minutes - longer if you like your tea strong. And for goodness sake, resist the temptation to dunk. Just leave the bag alone until the drink is ready! Add milk and sugar to taste.

Reviews

[littleturtle]

Nice basic tea. Thanks!

 

[LifeIsGood]

I can't believe I am actually enjoying a cup of tea!! For years I've TRIED to like tea because it is better for you than coffee. I've always felt so-so about tea. I was a little skeptical that things like how the water is added, type of cup used, etc... actually would make a difference. It DOES! This is full of flavor and, dare I say, YUMMY! Thank you. ~Made for the I Recommend Tag Game~

 

[internetnut]

I gave this 4 stars. I love tea this way. When I drink hot tea I often drink hot tea this way. I started drinking my hot tea this way after seeing it on a english movie. I do admit I dunk my tea bag but otherwise make my hot tea just as directed. Thanks for posting a great recipe. Christine (internetnut)

 

[Allen S.]

One of the best. I also like tea made in a china or porcelain teapot, preferably one with a small hole in the lid. Don't leave the bags in the pot or it will cause a buildup of tannic acid giving a bitter taste. I no longer order tea in US restaurants because most places will give you warm water from the coffee machine with a teabag on the side.

 

[alflett02]

Are there any other types of tea that could work?