Question for my British friends

[charliesmum]

Okay. I can't make a really good cup of tea, and I don't know why.

I have actual British tea - not Tetley English Breakfast or some American brand calling itself British tea, I have PG Tips, so it isn't the brand, I don't think.

Is it because I'm using tea bags instead of loose tea? Perhaps I'm not boiling the water long enough, or not letting the tea bag seep long enough. Is there an actual time one should be doing these things?

Or is it inherent? years ago I worked with this woman called Wendy who hailed from Manchester, England* and she would sometimes have PG Tips at work, and she would make me a cuppa, and it was always really, really good. Maybe I'm just too American to make a really decent cup of tea.

Help?


*England, across the Atlantic Sea.

Comments

[silverhill.livejournal.com]

For the longest time, I couldn't figure out how I could sometimes like tea -- and usually hate it. Then I found it it's because most of the time what Americans call "tea" isn't even tea; it's that herbal crap that has no tea in it.

My husband makes fun of me for it and calls me a tea snob. And most people don't understand. They'll say, "We have herbal tea." Herbal tea isn't tea. How can you tell? If you look at the ingredients, that herbal junk will say all kinds of spices, dried orange peel, etc. but not actually include tea as an ingredient. Real tea is has its ingredients listed as tea (or tea leaves) and whatever flavoring might be in there.

Okay, rant over. I'm sure you already know the difference between real tea and herbal "tea," but I just felt the need to rant.

Anyhow, I'm not British but ...

I notice a distinct difference between using loose tea and tea bags. If you're just brewing tea at home, why not try loose tea? It's a tiny bit more work and a little more cleanup, but I think it's so much better.

Temperature of the water is also really important. I don't order tea in restaurants unless I'm really desperate for tea because they bring you a tea bag and a little pot of water that's slightly hot. It needs to be boiling or almost boiling. (That's why I use a kettle instead of microwaving the water.)

As for steep time, that's a matter of personal preference. Loose tea should take longer to steep than tea bags. And, apparently, green tea needs less steep time than black tea. But really, just steep it to your liking. Play around with it until you find a steep time you prefer.

[aurictech.livejournal.com]

Herbal tea isn't tea.

Indeed not. It more closely resembles the liquid produced by the above-mentioned Nutrimatic Drinks Dispenser, in that it is "almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea."

Play around with it until you find a steep time you prefer.

Would that involve a steep learning curve? ;-)