I am a Coffee drinker, I drink Coffee all day, every day. I have a selection of coffee makers that drive my wife nuts.
BUT, I do like a cup of tea at least once a day. I like strong tea, and I take it hot or cold depending on the weather and my mood.
Cold tea with lemon can be very refreshing.
I was brought up in a family of tea drinkers, except my dad who was a coffee man.
I have fond memories of the teapot coming out on a tray with a cover, it was crotchet or like a mitten. over the pot to keep the tea nice and hot
Everyone had their favourite tea leaves, from Earl Gray to locally produced and grown tea, most were most insistent that their preferred brand was the one with the most flavour. My In-Laws were of British extraction but grew up in India and so I tended to follow their lead in deciding what the best brand was
My grandmother used to have all her friends around because she could “read tea leaves” and tell them their fortunes.
So no tea bags, only tea leaves.
My wife’s family drank tea like water, and my father-in-law always had a cup of tea next to him. And he loved a slice of lemon
in his tea and it was always taken with no milk
There were very specific rules about making the tea.
Firstly, the teapot was never washed with soap and water, a big no-no. It got rinsed with boiling water because you would ruin the flavour.
Tea always in a cup, never a mug
There were different saying for a cup of tea. Would like a cuppa. A cup a tay. And a friend of mine that referred to a cup of tea as a cup of port. No idea why, and I never asked him.
Some Tea Info
Tea is the most drunk of all beverages worldwide. It is rich in antioxidants, Vitamins, trace minerals and amino acids. It is caffeinated so you can get your pick me up, and when getting ready for bed there are the decaffeinated Herbal Varieties that that can settle you down for a good nights rest.
In the USA alone tea imports have risen by nearly 400% since 1990, showing that it is growing in popularity, especially with all
the different varieties and herbal teas with all their supposed health benefits
Tea is said to have originated in China and was known as a drink with medicinal qualities
Tea comes in many different varieties some of those being – Black Tea, White Tea, Green Tea, Spicy Chai, Assam, Darjeeling, oolong, Jasmine and many others
The list of countries where tea is grown would surprise you. Some of the major producers are – China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey
Making your cup of tea.
So you could go the traditional route and get a nice teapot to make your tea and have a tea party
OR
You could make a great cup of tea with a French Press. I have done it with tea leaves and tea bags. You can monitor the strength of your tea because
you can see it. You don’t start pouring and realise it is too weak, like a teapot
ICED TEA
Iced Tea is refreshing and is great as a change from the hot brews. Iced tea can be made from any tea, traditional, herbal etc, whatever your taste in tea is
You can add a whole variety of different fruits and berries, you can pour it over ice cream if you so desire. There are many different ways to drink it
is just up to you and what your tastes are.
You can make iced tea the traditional way, Brewing the tea in a pot letting it cool, decant into a jug and then refrigerate for a couple of hours
Alternatively, you could save yourself a lot of trouble and time and invest in an Iced Tea Brewer, This is my preferred way. There are many really good
Iced Tea Makers available that make you a great brew without all the fuss.
My favourite is Iced Green Tea.
Happy Tea Time
The Bean Brewer