Traditional British Brewed Tea
Here's a traditionalist view on how to make it, which shares much with George Orwell's essay, "A Nice Cup of Tea".
Ingredients
- Loose-leaf tea
- Milk (traditionally full-fat, but semi-skimmed will do)
Steps
- Bring freshly drawn water to a boil in a kettle.
- Meanwhile, prepare your teapot. A stainless steel pot may be used, but earthenware is preferred. Add some hot water and let the warmth pervade the pot. Drain off the hot water. Remember to take the pot to the water, never the water to the pot.
- Add the tea, measured according to the size of the teapot and the strength of tea you prefer. In a large teapot (serving 4 cups), 2 teaspoons will give a fairly weak tea, perhaps enough to console one for a lost umbrella on a rainy day, and 2 should be strong enough for being stood up on a Friday night. A broken heart may need 6.
- Add the water as soon as it boils, and leave it to stand for 5 minutes (and no longer) before serving.
- Add milk to taste. If you are familiar with the strength of tea you make and the size of the cups, you can follow the 'milk in first' technique. Otherwise, add milk to the tea, to ensure you get the right colour.
- Add sugar according to taste and the extent of the emotional crisis you are trying to overcome.
- Serve with a biscuit or two, and prepare to feel much better.
Adapted from “Traditional British Brewed Tea” in the Wikibooks Cookbook by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Reformatted for this site; this page's recipe text is shared under the same license.