The Perfect Pot And Cup Of English Tea Recipes

Sebastian Beckwith, cofounder of In Pursuit of Tea, explains how best to brew your leaves.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Drink Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 1

• Ingredients

From "Victorian Tea Party". Afternoon and High tea were daily events in Victorian society in England and ladies tea parties were very popular. The table was beautifully set with the household's best bone china, beautifully prepared sandwiches and treats were served and tea was carefully brewed to ensure the very best flavor. In 1880, Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management was published - here is what she had to say about making tea the proper way: "There is very little art in making good tea; if the water is boiling, and there is no sparing of the fragrant leaf, the beverage will almost invariably be good. The old-fashioned plan of allowing a teaspoonful to each person, and one over, is still practised. Warm the teapot with boiling water; let it remain for two or three minutes for the vessel to become thoroughly hot, then pour it away. Put in the tea, pour in from 1/2 to 3/4 pint of boiling water, close the lid, and let it stand for the tea to draw from 5 to 10 minutes; then fill up the pot with water. The tea will be quite spoiled unless made with water that is actually 'boiling', as the leaves will not open, and the flavour not be extracted from them; the beverage will consequently be colourless and tasteless,-in fact, nothing but tepid water. Where there is a very large party to make tea for, it is a good plan to have two teapots instead of putting a large quantity of tea into one pot; the tea, besides, will go farther. When the infusion has been once completed, the addition of fresh tea adds very little to the strength; so, when more is required, have the pot emptied of the old leaves, scalded, and fresh tea made in the usual manner. Economists say that a few grains of carbonate of soda, added before the boiling water is poured on the tea, assist to draw out the goodness: if the water is very hard, perhaps it is a good plan, as the soda softens it; but care must be taken to use this ingredient sparingly, as it is liable to give the tea a soapy taste if added in too large a quantity. For mixed tea, the usual proportion is four spoonfuls of black to one of green; more of the latter when the flavour is very much liked; but strong green tea is highly pernicious, and should never be partaken of too freely."

Provided by BecR2400

Categories     Beverages

Time 10m

Yield 2 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 6

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts :

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!

Provided by Little Bee

Categories     Beverages

Time 3m

Yield 1 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 4

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : Calories 18.4, Fat 0.1, Cholesterol 0.2, Sodium 2.2, Carbohydrate 4.5, Sugar 4.5, Protein 0.2

Provided by Food Network

Time 10m

Number Of Ingredients 5

• Ingredients