by Marleyman » Mon Nov 26, 2012 2:54 pm
If you are going to have tea then this extract from my Scenario Building Tutorial will help!
Tea!
Purchase good quality tea. Proper British tea is made with black tea - loose or bags, it's up to you. You'll have to weigh the convenience of bags with the full-bodied taste that only loose tea can give you. But whatever you do, avoid the cheap, boxed bags from your local supermarket.
Get a good tea pot. This is an important step. Tea needs room to move around to develop the best taste and you just won't get that by making it in a cup. The type isn't that important. Brown Betty pots are a favourite but you'll do just as well with a stainless, clay or ceramic pot.
Use fresh water. Use Fresh Water, that bears repeating. Do not use the water already sitting in the kettle. Your tea will taste stale if you use re-boiled water. Pull fresh cold water into the kettle - preferably filtered to avoid any contaminants that might alter the taste of the tea
Boil the water. Hot water from the tap is just not enough. You need a good rolling boil to get the water at the right temperature to meet the tea. A good electric or stove-top kettle will help you with this.
Heat the pot. While your kettle is boiling, run some hot water into the tea pot and let it sit. "Warming the pot" helps to keep the boiling water at the right temperature to brew the tea and will keep your brewed tea hotter, longer.
Get the tea ready. Just before the water comes to a boil, pour the hot water out of the standing tea pot and add your tea. If you're using tea leaves, spoon in a teaspoon for every cup plus "one for the pot." You may want to use a tea ball to hold the loose tea and that's fine, just be aware that the tea may taste slightly different than if it was loose in the pot because it doesn't have as much room to unfurl in the tea ball and develop its full flavour. If you are using tea bags, add two or three to the pot, depending on your preference.
Add the boiling water to the tea. Notice that the instruction is to add the WATER to the TEA, never the other way around.
Leave the tea to steep. The tea needs time to unfurl its leaves and develop its flavour. This usually takes about five minutes but you can adjust that time up or down depending on your personal preference. Cover the tea pot with a tea cozy or tea towel to keep it warm.
Pour the tea. Purists would tell you that tea just doesn't taste right unless it's served in porcelain cups. There's no doubt that the tea does taste wonderful in porcelain but if delicate cups aren't your thing, any cup or mug will do. If you've used loose tea, rest a tea strainer on your cup to catch any leaves.
If you have used tea bags and don't plan on drinking the whole pot right away, remove the tea bags so the tea doesn't get too strong and bitter - same idea with a tea ball. If you have used leaves, it's best to serve the full pot right away or else the sitting leaves will make the tea bitter and undrinkable.
Add the extras. After the tea is poured you may add your milk and sugar. British tea is commonly served with milk but never cream. The fat content in cream is too rich for tea's delicate taste, so low-fat milk is the way to go. For some time, sugar in your tea was very popular but this seems to be going out of style. Honey is never served in traditional British tea. If you prefer your tea black, you might enjoy a slice of lemon.