Correct me if I got anything wrong, TA!
I'd personally would appreciate all the effort even if it wasn't right. I'd drink it to be polite, I don't usually drink tea.
this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2023
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Meh, I've had worse.
Also just leave the tea bag in the tea. How else will anyone know what you're drinking!
Someone call the ICC. This is a crime against humanity.
Do Brits really never drink coffee? I have both
I'm British and I only drink coffee, but I don't meet many other people who do. Gotta bear in mind that most people only drink either disgusting freeze-dried instant coffee, or posh boutique coffee from, at worst, Starbucks and, at best, a decent independent coffee place.
Uncouth wretches. I get mine from the gas station!
Watching Sorted Food (London based food channel on YouTube) it does seem that some Brits enjoy both or one over the other. The majority seem to drink just tea, the next group enjoys both but for different events, and the smallest group is coffee only.
For the middle group it's people who have coffee in the morning and tea at noon/afternoon.
How to make Southern (US) sweet tea: put about a quart of water in a saucepan, plus 4 cups of sugar and the number of Orange Pekoe teabags you would use to make a gallon (for me it's about 8 normal or 4 family-sized). Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Steep 2-3 minutes. Remove bags and stir to make sure sugar is dissolved. Fill a gallon container with ice. Pour the hot tea over ice and add cold water to fill up. Serve over more ice.
Gross...
I'm also from the South.
The recipe I grew up on (thanks to my Mom) is half as many tea bags and a quarter as much sugar and it's delicious.
Hell, you're using twice as much sugar as McDonald's does in their sweet tea.
That's excessive, amigo.
Also, be sure to use Lipton (which is orange pekoe but so are some other brands so specificity helps)... Anything else is subpar for sweet tea (iced Southern US style).
Ok honest question. Do Brits only let the tea soak for like 2-5 minutes? I always let it soak for longer, like 15 minutes otherwise I think it just doesn't taste as good.
Edit: I probably should have clarified that, when I say 15 minutes, I was thinking about teabags. I only use teabags for stuff like lavender tea etc. Also I would never let black tea soak for 15 minutes, I've accidentally been there. Can't recommend it.
I'm from the US so maybe not what you're looking for, but for black tea you need a few things:
- 212° water (freedom units) - must be boiling, not boiled-then-left-to-cool. I use an electric kettle. If your water isn't hot enough your tea won't steep effectively.
- Decent tea. If you're steeping 15 minutes you might be drinking cheap tea made with fannings (essentially the tea dust that's left over after the better quality products have been packaged). I drink Yorkshire Gold but this is a matter of preference.
- Milk and sugar to taste, but these should complement the tea. Tea should be the predominant flavor, it shouldn't just taste like milk or sugar.
Here's what you do:
- Heat the water to a rolling boil.
- While the water is still boiling, pour over the teabag. Pour slowly enough that you don't rupture the bag.
- Steep for 5 minutes.
- Remove the teabag. Don't squeeze it out - this releases more tannins and your brew will be more bitter.
- (CONTROVERSIAL!) Add milk and sugar. Some people will tell you milk goes in first. These people are wrong.
Some people will talk at you about teapots and patinas but honestly if you're an infrequent tea drinker it's not worth bothering with.
Signed - an American anxiously awaiting all the UKians who will tell me I'm doing it wrong.
My last couple of electric kettles had various levels for coffee, black tea, herbal tea and then the roaring boil of the 212 of your freedom units. I suspect the roaring is due to all of the freedom.
I'm surprised the coffee setting is so low compared to the teas.
I've never really paid attention to how longto leave a tea bag in. Usually it's stayed in the whole time while drinking it. Recently I've started to read the boxes the tea comes in and Earl Grey is like 3 minutes depending on the brand and herbal is 5-10.
As for number 5 I've read back when China was becoming more common place it was almost a caste level nod if you put your milk in first or last.
Early cheaper China would crack or break from hot water/tea being poured directly into the cup first. Placing the milk in first helped cover up this flaw by cooling down the tea.
Pouring your hot tea directly into your cups without the milk first was a subtle flex of your superior China quality. I do miss some of this nuance in a world that's seems to be on full blast most of the time.
Don't use boiling water. 195-205F for black tea. Brew time typically varies by preference from 3-4 minutes, but 5 isn't terrible.
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Teabag tea is cut up much much finer than looseleaf tea. Whereas looseleaf is identifiable bits of leaf, the stuff in teabags is ground up into a powder. They do this deliberately so that it will brew more quickly, and a good cup normally takes 3-5 minutes.
Looseleaf tea takes longer to brew, which is why you can brew a big pot, pour and drink one cup, and then come back for a second that's been sat on the leaves without it tasting like industrial chemicals.
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