As promised here is a very detailed look at my tea pot. Sometimes people think that it does not matter whether you use a tea pot, cafetiere, sieve or one of those strange ball shaped strainers you can buy from Whit*ard to make your tea. Can I say that I think those people are dreadfully wrong. Having tea is not just about putting a tea bag in a mug, stirring it around, putting the milk in and drinking - making the tea in a good tea pot is all part of the experience. I would consider a cup of tea made hastily in a mug to only be an average cup. Making a good cup will definately involve the use of tea pot. Nowhere else can you get the experience and aroma than when you make tea in a pot.
Now to the pot itself. I used to use a standard tea pot with the classic Whit*ard strainer. That was fine and made a very good cup. As you will from the photo, I no longer use my strainer but instead use 'The Stay Fresh Hot Tea Pot'. This gadget keeps the tea hot for at least 2 hours after brewing and keeps it fresh so it doesn't stew. Not only that but it makes a massive 5 mugs of tea. Buying this will set you back about £20 which, though it might seem a lot, is really worth it. This tea pot will save you time, energy and tea bags, and has the trendy 'see thru' look which put together makes for a great tea experience.
If you want to buy one of these tea pots then you can do at Argos or probably any shop that sells good tea equipment. You won't regret it!
Thought I'd introduce myself to this great celebration of tea by exploring what sugar adds to our tea-drinking experience. I am not, of course, talking about Whittards or any of the more refined teas, merely your quintessential cup of Tetley's/Fairtrade (I am trying to wean myself from the former to the latter). Now there are those who will argue, but whilst this variety of tea is all very well and tasty on its own, sugar in this tea represents additional value for your cup. I have come to understand that two sugars is merely for the sweet tooth and/or the late night student, and I fall into the latter category more often than many think I should, but one sugar is an amount for all occasions. Instead of going to your kettle and pouring out the routine tea without thinking, and possibly taking that little bit less care with your cup (horror!), having two options over how you take your tea makes you think, and you take more care in preparing the perfect brew for your mood. Soften your tea with a little sugar and enjoy the experience so much more.....
Of course, since tea is great anyway, having it without sugar is perfectly fine too...just don't limit yourself.
[Ed: The views contained in this article are not the views expressed by the other members of the team who strongly oppose the use of sugar or other sweetners in tea.]
Today I have tasted the delights of 'Orange Blossom'. On a cold, snowy day it warmed my heart. For those of you who haven't come across this cracking tea it is a black tea with a fruity and aromatic citrus flavour. It can be bought at a very well known English tea merchants. It would be wrong to mention the name here so I will refer to it only as Whit*ard [there is a link to their page at the bottom of this site].
The photo above should give you a good idea of the colour of the tea. Unfotunately you don't know how it smells but I can tell you it is good! One person who drank it once said "it's smooth and slips down your throat, it is like drinking syrup". Doesn't rot your teeth like syrup though does it? In fact, tea is good for your teeth. Winner all round.
Those are my thoughts on 'Orange Blossom'. I'd recommend you try some. Take a trip to your nearest Whit*ard and you can pick some up for £3. Enjoy!
[Note: I'll be talking about my extraordinary 'Stay fresh' tea pot in a later post. Keep checking back!]
Coming up in the next few days we'll be publishing 'The dummies guide to behaving at tea parties' along with an answer to the question 'What is Chai tea and why is it so popular?' Check back later in the week for these posts.
Another thing that is great is snow. We've had snow here in Durham, UK today. It's great! And best of all, it goes well with tea. Not in it (though I haven't tried that) but you can't beat a nice hot cup of tea in front of the fire with snow and cold outside. Ahhhhh! Bring on more snow!
