How To Make The Perfect Cup Of Tea
by Lorraine Bevere
http://www.fogtea.com
Not many people know how to make the perfect cup of tea.
It is my observation that the way most people make tea is
to throw a teabag in a cup, pour on some hot water, give
it a quick stir and add milk and sugar to taste. I cannot
count how many times over the years I have had to endure
really bad tea whilst out at a restaurant or visiting
family or friends in their homes. So as a committed tea
drinker of some 30 years experience here is my attempt to
make the world a better place by informing others as to
how to make the perfect cup of tea!
1. If possible use fresh water. Spring water is best due
to its purity and lack of additives such as chlorine and
fluoride which can affect the taste. If you use tap water
then run the tap until the water is cold and fresh. Do not
re-boil "old" water. Good quality water is essential for
the perfect cup of tea.
2. Preferably use a teapot made of china or earthenware.
Pots made of certain types of metal such as enamel silver
or copper should be avoided as they can impart flavor to
the water. Stainless steel is okay.
3. Warm the pot beforehand with a little hot water.
4. Add at least one heaped teaspoon of tea for each cup of
water that you are going to add. My rule of thumb is add
one teaspoon per cup plus one for the pot! Adding loose
tea to the pot is the best way for the tea to infuse
properly but many people prefer to use a tea strainer or
infusing basket for the sake of convenience.
5. Pour boiling water directly onto the leaves and then
stir the water before placing lid back on teapot.
6. Allow the tea to steep for between four and five
minutes. If using green tea three minutes is best.
7. Remove or strain the leaves to avoid overbrewing.
8. The cup that you drink out of can greatly affect the
taste of the tea so choose wisely. A good quality cup made
of china will definitely enhance the whole tea drinking
experience. A tall mug-shaped cup is best. Avoid wide
shallow cups which cause the tea to cool in next to no
time!
9. Pour milk into the cup first. Ah, yes this is the step
that causes most contoversy. Many an argument has been had
concerning whether or not it is best to add the milk to
the tea or vice versa. I have always preferred milk first
then tea but my husband argues that it is easier to
regulate the right amount of milk by adding milk
afterwards!
Now scientists have waded into the debate and the verdict
is clear. The UK Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has
warned against the practice of adding milk to tea after it
is poured. It seems that dribbling a stream of milk into
hot water makes "denaturation of milk proteins" more
likely. And who would want that?
At high temperatures, milk proteins - which are normally
all curled up foetus-like - begin to unfold and link
together in clumps. This is what happens in UHT [ultra
heat-treated] milk, and is why it doesn't taste as good a
fresh milk," says Dr Andrew Stapley, a chemical engineer
at Loughborough University. It is better to have the
chilled milk massed at the bottom of the cup, awaiting the
stream of hot tea. This allows the milk to cool the tea,
rather than the tea ruinously raise the temperature of the
milk.
So there you have it! The debate is now over - somehow I
don't think so!
10. Lastly, drink tea without any sugar. I must admit to
being a reformed sugary tea drinker and you know what that
means. Yes, I am now passionately against putting sugar in
tea. As one who has sat on both sides of the fence I can
say that tea is so much better without sweetening. Sugar
only serves to mask the taste of the tea. Not only that
too much sugar is not good for you and why spoil what is
now being recognized as one of the world's great health
drinks by adding sugar. When I stopped taking my two
spoonfuls of sugar in my tea it took me about three or
four weeks to get used to the new taste but once I got
used to it there was no going back.
So there you have it - how to make the perfect cup of tea!
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