How To Make The Perfect Cup of | ENGLISH TEA
TEA SELECTION…
There are so many varieties of tea! But when it comes to what we know as ‘British Tea’ it comes from the plant ‘Camellia Sinensis’ the variation in flavours has more to do with how the tea is processed after picking.
Select the best ‘Fair Trade’ certified and organic tea if possible, remember our consumer choices have a direct impact on others and the environment.
LOOSE TEA VS TEA BAGS…
Simply put - Loose tea has better flavour, but a slower infusion rate to release caffeine- but teabags are more convenient and have a higher infusion rate for a quick caffeine kick. If you are looking for the in-between maybe go for a teach pouch.
Loose-leaf tea is a tea that is not brewed in a teabag. When you steep loose-leaf tea, it has (or should have) room for tea leaves to absorb water and expand as they infuse. This allows the water to flow through the leaves and extract a wide range of vitamins, minerals, flavors, and aromas from the leaves.
When you steep tea in a teabag, its infusion is limited by the size of the teabag. By filling teabags with smaller particles of tea (rather than whole leaves), the surface area and infusion rate of the tea are increased. A more powerful (though not particularly nuanced) brew resulted. It was cheap, easy and good enough for your average “milk and sugar” tea drinker, so it was successful.
More recently, some tea merchants have decided to adapt the tea bag to the tea. Instead of using flat-tasting grades of tea (tiny, broken leaves known as “dust” and “fannings”), they are opting for higher grades of tea with more sophisticated flavor profiles and aromas. They are getting better brews from these leaves than they would with traditional tea bags by putting them into plus-size tea bags, “tea pouches” and “tea socks,” as well as “pyramid bags” (pyramid-shaped teabags). All of these teabag variations allow the leaves to expand more than traditional tea bags, thus creating a better brew.
Note: Since infusion rates occur at different rates in teabags and with whole-leaf tea, there's a difference in caffeine levels in teabags and whole-leaf tea.
PURIFIED WATER
The tap water in the UK is classed as one of the safest and purest water supplies in the world. It is required by law to be fit for human consumption and UK water companies must test mains water for a reassuringly long list of micro-organisms and chemicals. New compounds are occasionally discovered that have slipped through the net, such as when Brunel University found a chemical used in dishwasher detergents in UK tap water in 2011 but these instances are rare and pale insignificance when compared to the real and damaging impact of bottled water on the environment.
But do consider the quality of the water you are consuming. While water is drinkable straight out the tap in the UK it may have some unwanted traces of rust, microplastics, Lead (from old piping), limescale, harmful bacteria/parasites, EE2, Drugs (traces have been found in the water supply as a byproduct of the pharmaceutical and drug industry, ffluoride and other chemicals. If possible choose a water purifier that is designed to retain minerals while removing the unwanted toxins.
BRING THE WATER TO BOILING POINT AND LET IT REST…
Once your kettle is boiled with fresh water you need to leave it for a few minutes to cool down.
Some of you may read this and think 'but I love my tea piping hot?' Leaving it for a few minutes will still produce a very hot cup of tea and will give you better results.
Our top tip is that you should never pour boiling water over a tea bag or loose tea. The reason for this is because the boiling water will burn the tea, it scalds it and therefore, the tea doesn't release all of its maximum flavours.
Tea is very delicate plant and needs to be cared for in order to receive the full benefits. So once your water has rested for about 2-3 minutes it's ready to be poured onto your tea.
EVERYONE IS BUSY… BUT TAKING THE TIME TO USE A TEAPOT DEFINITELY ADDS TO THE TEA DRINKING EXPERIENCE….
LET THE TEA BREW…
Now you have poured your water onto your tea you need to let it brew for the recommended time. you’ll find their recommendation for the perfect time to brew any blend on the packaging.
Obviously if you like your tea stronger or weaker that is a personal taste. However, the optimal brewing time will produce a beautiful, smooth cup that will leave you wanting more.
REMOVE THE TEA…
ADD SUGAR IF YOU LIKE…ONE LUMP OR TWO?
Consider that your intake of sugar should be within the recommended daily allowance. Do not exceed this as it is not healthy.
IT WOULDN’T BE MUCH OF AN ‘ENGLISH’ STYLE TEA IF MILK OR CREAM IS NOT ADDED, BUT IT’S UP TO YOU! MILK FIRST OR LAST THAT IS THE QUESTION?
When tea was first imported to the UK in the 18th Century lots of people couldn't afford tea, so it became associated with status. Later as it became popular and cheaper, poorer people that could not afford fine bone china again a luxury at the time had cups that couldn't withstand the heat of the boiling water and would shatter, so milk was added first to prevent this, also may people did not like the taste of the tea and used milk and sugar to reduce the bitter taste. Of course nowadays it makes more sense to let the tea brew, then add the sugar to dissolve, before adding a cooler liquid. This is the way the British Royals make teas now, although this is still a highly debated topic, as some people will still add milk first.