How to Make the Perfect Cup of Tea
Getting the Best Out of the Classic British Beverage
Nov 14, 2008
Drinking a nice, hot cup of tea can be the perfect way to unwind after a difficult day at work provided, that is, that the tea has been brewed in the best possible way.
British Relationship with Tea
Tea drinking first took off in Britain in 1660 when, after the marriage of King Charles II to the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza, the new Queen introduced the habit of drinking tea to the court.
Although early imports probably came via Amsterdam or from ships trading with China, the majority of tea that was came into Britain was imported by the famed East India Company. Since tea was previously unknown in Britain, it was originally marketed as a medicine or tonic but by the end of the 17th century tea was being enjoyed as a drink, albeit primarily by the aristocracy.
Nobody would have predicted that by 1750 tea would be the British national drink or that its popularity would endure right through to the 21st century.
Tea Leaves or Teabags?
Using a quality variety of tea is vital when trying to brew the perfect cup. It is possible to get high quality tea in both leaves and bags. Tea leaves have the advantage of not having been processed so much as bagged tea so more of the essential oils and chemicals are still present. High quality teabags can often, however, contain nearly as high a grade of tea as the pure leaves and are also a lot more convenient to use. It is worth experimenting with different varieties of tea to find the perfect variety taste wise.
How to Brew the Perfect Cup
Whilst the perfect cup of tea does depend to a certain degree on personal taste (whether to make it strong or weak, with sugar or without) the basic method is the same for everyone:
- Ensure that the kettle is clean and free of lime scale.
- Fill the kettle with fresh, cold water. In hard water areas it is best to filer the water first. Remembering not to overfill the kettle helps to save both the environment and the electricity bill.
- Boil the kettle.
- Add one heaped spoon of loose tea or one tea bag per person to the teapot. Making the tea directly in the mug saved time but can lead to an inferior quality of beverage.
- Pour the boiling water into the teapot. If it is not a thermal insulated teapot then remember to place a tea cosy over the pot to ensure that the heat is kept in while the tea is brewing.
- Allow to brew for between 3 and 5 minutes. The longer the tea is left to brew, the stronger it will be.
- Pour the tea into a cup.
- Add milk and sugar as desired and stir thoroughly.
- Sit back and enjoy the warmining drink of tea. A cup of tea is particularly good on a cold winter evening while watching a murder mystery show on the television.
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