How to Make a Proper cup of tea – Cheerio Ya’ll!

General Tea Etiquette- Unless you are a tea fanatic or an actual Tea Shoppe, it is not necessary to stock your cupboard with copious varieties of tea. Two or three offerings of your favorites will do. Earl Grey (slight orange flavor), Darjeeling (Black Tea), Assam (commonly called "English Breakfast Tea" or "Irish Breakfast Tea") and Green Teas are among the most popular.

There is some debate among true tea connoisseurs as to whether the water should come to a full rolling boil, or is ready for brewing just prior to boiling. But two things are undisputable 1. Never allow the tea to boil on the stove top. This embitters the tea and 2. Never should the tea be added to the water but the water should be poured over the tea.

How to serve an Englishman a Proper cup of tea – Cheerio!

1. In a stainless steal pot Bring 3 cups fresh cold water almost to a boil. Other types of medal pots taint the taste of the tea.

2. Pour about ½ cup into your ceramic teapot and roll it around to warm the pot. Discard the water. Return water pot to stove top and bring to a gentle boil.

3. Insert infuser (it looks like a cloth funnel) into the ceramic tea pot.

4. Add loose tea into the infuser, about one teaspoon per 8 ounce cup.

5. Pour boiling water over the leaves and put the lid on the tea pot. Let steep for 3 minutes.

6. Remove infuser with loose tea. Allowing the tea leaves to steep for longer than five minutes “stews” the tea and embitters it.
The English offer milk (never cream), lemon, or sugar cubes as options for their tea.

How to Serve a Southerner Tea - Ya’ll:

But since I am not British… I:

1. Boil my cold (spring, distilled, or filtered) water in a stainless steal pot. When it comes to a boil I push it to the back burner.

2. Add sweetener (I use low glycemic natural Agave) and stir. Even though I am from the south, I use a minimal amount of sweetener. However, traditional southern tea is made by add about 1 cup white sugar per pitcher - until the sugar can no longer dissolved– (diabetic coma here we come…)

3. Add two family size tea bags (gasp – there goes undisputable rule # 2) and put a lid on it for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags.

4. While it is steeping to a deep brown, I fill a pitcher to the top with ice. Then fill the pitcher ½ way to the top with cool water.

5. Then I fill the pitcher the rest of the way with the hot concentrated tea. The ice water dilutes the tea concentrate to the perfect southern staple. *In-JAW YAH AHHSS-TEE YAH-LL!

This makes a pitcher and a half.

*(translation: Enjoy your ice tea, Ya’ll)