A Proper Cuppa

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's some good advice for bargain hunters from Rosemary Zwick of
Cape Town, South Africa

"How much are the donuts?"

"40 cents for two."

"How much for one?"

"25 cents."

"Then I'll take the other one."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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You didn't think I would publish a week of Proper Afternoon Tea
recipes without instructions on the brewing of a proper cup of tea,
did you? There are dozens of customs surrounding the brewing of a
perfect pot of tea, and I have tried to condense as many as possible
in the following description. Methods and manners vary around the
British Isles, but I assure you that if you follow my directions you
will not be embarrassed when you pour for the Queen.

A Proper Cuppa

Bring water - enough to fill your tea pot twice - to a boil in a heavy
kettle over high heat. Your tea pot need not be fancy or expensive,
but it should be made of china (preferably bone china) or earthenware
because of their unique thermal properties. Fill the pot with boiling
water. (Tradition says that the pot should always be brought to the
kettle and not the other way around - this assures that the water is
as hot as possible when added to the pot, and also prevents people
from running around their kitchens carrying large kettles of boiling
water.) Return the kettle to the heat. Let the water sit in the pot
for a minute or two to warm up the pot before pouring it out. Add the
tea to the pot. Any fermented tea (as opposed to green Asian-style
tea) can be used, depending on your preference. English Breakfast tea
is a favorite but many people consider it too strong for an afternoon
tea. Other popular choices include Earl Grey, flavored with the rind
of bergamots, full-bodied Darjeeling, the ever-popular Ceylon, and the
distinctive, smoky Lapsang Souchong. Herbal tea is a perfectly
acceptable choice, especially if you or your guests are avoiding
caffeine, and chamomile tea is a traditional favorite. The rule of
thumb is to add one teaspoon (5 ml) of tea for each cup plus one for
the pot, but experienced tea brewers know whether to add more or less
depending on how they like their tea. Now fill the pot with boiling
water - the water should be at a full boil when the kettle is removed
from the heat - and allow the tea to steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Some
people believe that giving the pot three revolutions helps to speed
the process. Your pot of tea is now ready to be poured.

Traditionally a small amount of milk is placed into the cups before
pouring the tea in order to help the cups absorb some of the shock of
the hot water, but nowadays many people offer milk (never cream) as an
option and add it later. Either way, pour the tea directly into the
cups through a tea strainer. You don't need an elegant antique
sterling silver tea strainer (although if you have one, by all means
use it) - any small fine-mesh strainer will do. The use of tea bags
eliminates the need for the strainer, but their use is frowned on in
proper circles. Offer your guests sugar (always white sugar in the
form of sugar cubes) and a thin slice of lemon or a dollop of milk.
(Notice that the lemon-milk thing is an either-or proposition - adding
both will curdle the milk.)

Wait for your tea to cool a bit before drinking it because blowing on
it is a definite faux pas. Sip your tea quietly, without slurping or
making that "whooshing" sound often made when drinking hot beverages.
The tea cup should be held with the handle between the thumb and the
curled forefinger (not with the finger poking through the handle
mug-style), and you can hold your pinky any way you like. Makes 1 pot
of proper tea to serve 2 to 6.
Received on Fri May 20 08:12:20 2005