Quizzes & Puzzles5 mins ago
Milk?
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Out for a cuppa with friends today. One said "always put your milk in the cup first", other said "oh no, tea first then milk". Who is right? Not that it matters but I always add milk last.
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This old chestnut again ! This isn't rocket science you know !
Its very simple. Tea needs to be made with water that is boiling, so putting a tea bag into a cup with cold milk already in it, and then adding boiling water can't be right can it ? It means that the tea has already begun to brew in something cold, ie the bl00dy milk.
However, if you are making a pot of tea, with proper tea leaves, then boiling water should added to the tea pot, left to steep for 4-5 mins and then poured into a cup or mug. It then doesn't matter if the milk is added 1st or 2nd. The rule is you take the tea pot to the kettle, not the kettle to the tea pot.
This confusion is all down to the growth in popularity of tea bags over loose tea. I would guess that most tea is made with tea bags these days, although my mother went to her grave stoutly believing that tea bags were the invention of the devil, and she wouldn't have them in the house. I have to confess that my tea drinking is about 50/50 bag and leaves these days.
My American friends, despite being patiently shown the ritual of the British Tea Ceremony on numerous occasions by me over the last 40 years, still insist on putting a tea bag into a mug, adding cold milk and cold water. They then put aforesaid mug into the microwave and switch it on !
I know, its unbelievable but I have seen it with my own eyes.
When I was staying with these friends one time, not that many years ago, we went to visit some friends of theirs. These people had never met a Brit before, so were a tad nervous about serving me tea. But my Hostess let herself down almost imminently by asking me if I preferred lemon or cream in my tea.
"Cream ?, in tea ?" I cried, in utter despair !
Lovely people, the Yanks, very hospitable and the scenery is stunning but I am beggered if they can make a cup of tea to save their lives.
Or beer come to that, but I guess that is another story, for another time.
Its very simple. Tea needs to be made with water that is boiling, so putting a tea bag into a cup with cold milk already in it, and then adding boiling water can't be right can it ? It means that the tea has already begun to brew in something cold, ie the bl00dy milk.
However, if you are making a pot of tea, with proper tea leaves, then boiling water should added to the tea pot, left to steep for 4-5 mins and then poured into a cup or mug. It then doesn't matter if the milk is added 1st or 2nd. The rule is you take the tea pot to the kettle, not the kettle to the tea pot.
This confusion is all down to the growth in popularity of tea bags over loose tea. I would guess that most tea is made with tea bags these days, although my mother went to her grave stoutly believing that tea bags were the invention of the devil, and she wouldn't have them in the house. I have to confess that my tea drinking is about 50/50 bag and leaves these days.
My American friends, despite being patiently shown the ritual of the British Tea Ceremony on numerous occasions by me over the last 40 years, still insist on putting a tea bag into a mug, adding cold milk and cold water. They then put aforesaid mug into the microwave and switch it on !
I know, its unbelievable but I have seen it with my own eyes.
When I was staying with these friends one time, not that many years ago, we went to visit some friends of theirs. These people had never met a Brit before, so were a tad nervous about serving me tea. But my Hostess let herself down almost imminently by asking me if I preferred lemon or cream in my tea.
"Cream ?, in tea ?" I cried, in utter despair !
Lovely people, the Yanks, very hospitable and the scenery is stunning but I am beggered if they can make a cup of tea to save their lives.
Or beer come to that, but I guess that is another story, for another time.