Teatime for the Soul http://teatime.polyomino.com All about Tea: what to choose and how to make it. 2014-03-29T21:16:39Z hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Making Tea 4: Making Billy Tea the Australian Way http://teatime.polyomino.com/2007/03/making-tea-4-making-billy-tea-the-australian-way/ 2007-03-05T09:50:17Z This is the traditional way of making tea in the Australian Outback. The drover with his herd of sheep or the itinerant shearer with his swag would have to drink water wherever he could find it. Tea is a good way to drink the water and the billycan reduces tea making to absolute simplicity .

The billy itself is simply a kind of metal cooking pot with a lid and a bucket handle that goes on the fire. The water is boiled and tea made all in the same pot. For a family choose one of 1 to 2 litres, but for a larger gathering you need a billy of perhaps 10 litres or more. It will soon be blackened and sooty on the outside but clean and shiny inside, which adds to the authenticity.

When you travel with your swag in the Outback you don’t carry fresh milk. It is traditional to flavour billy tea with tinned sweetened condensed milk, but the flavour is not one everyone likes. You will need:

  1. Strong black tea (any kind, fresh if possible)
  2. Billycan of suitable size
  3. Water (clean and fresh if possible)
  4. Campfire, and somewhere to put the billy
  5. Tin mugs (250 ml or larger)
  6. Gum leaf (optional)
  7. Milk, sugar or condensed milk, as available.

How to go about it:

  1. Fill the billycan with water: at least 250 ml per person.
  2. Cover with lid and put on the fire to boil.
  3. When the water boils, take off the fire by lifting the handle with a stick and remove lid. Be careful – everything is very hot.
  4. Sprinkle tea on top of water: a handful for a family billy, several handfuls for a big one.
  5. Drop in the gum leaf for its distinctive flavour (optional).
  6. Wait. After about 5 minutes the tea leaves will suddenly drop to the bottom. Tapping the side of the billy with a stick may help (at least many people do it!).
  7. Pour carefully into tin mugs leaving tea leaves in the bottom of the billy.
  8. Flavour with milk, sugar or condensed milk if liked.

The tea is strong, invigorating and a surprisingly good flavour. An Australian bush barbeque would definitely not be the same without billy tea. It goes particularly well with damper and jam or golden syrup, but that is another story!

A gum leaf means a young, green leaf of a eucalypt tree. These are available in a surprisingly large number of places outside Australia, but it is very much an acquired taste.

Tradition is that the dregs of the tea from cups and billy are poured into the fire to help put it out before leaving the camp.

G’day!

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Making Tea 3: The Bottomless Cup of Chinese Tea http://teatime.polyomino.com/2007/03/making-tea-3-the-bottomless-cup-of-chinese-tea/ 2007-03-04T09:23:34Z The Chinese method for making tea depends on a lengthy brewing period, by which a pot can be made to last an hour or longer. It is ideal for making tea to go with a meal (such as Chinese food!), or to share with friends along with some activity like playing cards, watching a video or just conversation.

Suitable teas include any of the Chinese black, red, green or other teas such as Jasmine, Oolong, Gunpowder or Pu Erh. Many non-Chinese teas can be made this way too. The essential principle is that a small amount of tea gradually yields its flavour without haste or fuss. This is the simplest possible tea to make, and here is how it works. You will need:

  1. Good quality, fresh black, green or red tea
  2. Medium or lightweight china teapot with a good spout
  3. Fresh, clean, soft water
  4. Kettle or other boiler
  5. China tea bowls, preferably 100-150ml (lid optional)
  6. Tea cosy to keep teapot warm (optional).

How to proceed:

  1. Boil the water. You will eventually need enough to fill the pot 2 or 3 times.
  2. Add tea to pot: usually two or three pinches, but not too much.
  3. Pour the water onto the tea.
  4. Leave to stand for at least 5 minutes. Cover teapot with tea cosy if room is cold or draughty.
  5. Pour out the first bowl of tea and tip it back into the pot, to aid in mixing.
  6. Pour a bowl for each person. Anyone who prefers stronger tea may pour it back in the pot and wait a little longer.
  7. Pour and refill each bowl as required.
  8. If the level in the pot gets low, or the tea gets too strong, add more hot water.

This continuing process of pouring out bowls of tea and topping up with water goes on until eventually the flavour is lost and you have to start again. You should get at least 3 refills and at least 1 hour out of a couple of pinches of tea leaves. What could be more economical?

Enjoy!

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Making Tea 2: Getting the Best out of Darjeeling or Earl Grey http://teatime.polyomino.com/2007/03/making-tea-2-getting-the-best-out-of-darjeeling-or-earl-grey/ 2007-03-03T09:14:03Z When the Victorian era English ladies invited you for tea and cucumber sandwiches, they had in mind a refined and delicate black tea such as highland Darjeeling, a blend such as Russian Caravan or a flavoured blend such as Earl Grey. These teas do not have the raw power of the strong black teas, but instead they offer a range of delicate flavours that must be brought out by careful preparation of the tea.

Like other black teas these are typically very dark in colour, sometimes with reddish hints, but the aroma is different and often they have larger leaves. The temperature of the water is less critical, and the brewing time is a little longer, so these are better teas to prepare if you are not right next to the kettle. The flavours are best appreciated with just a little or no milk.

The critical factors are quality equipment and materials, cleanliness and optimal flavour extraction. The method given here works for most of these teas, but feel free to experiment. You will need:

  1. Good quality, fresh black tea such as Darjeeling or Earl Grey
  2. Medium weight or elegant china teapot with a good spout
  3. Fresh, clean, soft water
  4. Kettle, electric preferred
  5. Tea strainer, stainless steel with fine mesh preferred
  6. China teacups, preferably 150-200ml
  7. Skim or low fat milk (optional)
  8. Tea cosy to keep teapot warm (optional).

Those who drink their tea without milk may find that a little lemon or sugar enhances the flavour, but I’m still convinced that good tea tastes better without. How to proceed:

  1. Put the water on to boil. You will need about 1 teacup (200ml) per person, plus 1.
  2. Pre-heat the teapot with hot water, particularly if the room is cold.
  3. As the water reaches the boil, pour any hot water out of the teapot.
  4. Add tea to pot: one good, heaped teaspoonful (about 4g) per person, plus one “for the pot”.
  5. Pour the water onto the tea immediately, or once it has stopped boiling. Stirring is not needed.
  6. Leave to stand for 5-6 minutes. During this time the full flavour should develop, but any longer and the tannins will start to be extracted, giving the tea that woody or stewed flavour. Cover teapot with tea cosy if room is cold or draughty.
  7. Gently stir the tea in the pot using a spoon, to mix thoroughly and ensure every cup is about the same strength.
  8. If you prefer milk, pour a very small quantity of skim milk into each cup. About 1 teaspoon or 5ml is enough. If there is only full cream milk, use less.
  9. Pour the tea into each cup using the strainer to catch leaves (there should be a few).

All the tea should be poured at once, leaving a little in the pot. Refilling the teapot immediately with hot water will allow for a second cup, but it will never be as good.

The tea as poured should be a light-to-medium coppery brown. If milk is added, the tea should be quite translucent and may even appear grey. The tea in the cup should remain drinkable for 20 minutes or so, and this time can be extended by covering the cup with a lid.

Enjoy!

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Making Tea 1: How to Brew a Great Cuppa http://teatime.polyomino.com/2007/03/making-tea-1-how-to-brew-a-great-cuppa/ 2007-03-02T09:10:44Z It is amazing how few people know how to brew the kind of refreshing, invigorating tea enjoyed by the English-speaking world for a couple of centuries. This is by far the best way for strong black teas such as Assam from India, Ceylon from Sri Lanka and blends like English Breakfast.

These teas are dark in colour with a strong tea aroma and are made up of small pieces of broken leaf. They have been withered and air-dried to develop the distinctive colour and flavour, which gives them a high content of the stimulants theophylline and caffeine. They must be infused with really boiling water for a short time, and develop a very unpleasant bitter or stewed flavour if brewed too long.

The critical factors are quality equipment and materials, cleanliness and maximum flavour extraction. That means you must have really hot water and stir the pot! The method given here is simple and reliable, but can always be varied to suit individual tastes.

You will need:

  1. Good quality, fresh strong black tea
  2. Heavy china teapot with a good spout
  3. Fresh, clean, soft water
  4. Kettle, electric preferred
  5. Tea strainer, stainless steel with fine mesh preferred
  6. China cups or mugs, preferably 200ml or larger
  7. Skim or low fat milk (optional)
  8. Tea cosy to keep teapot warm (optional).

I have not mentioned lemon, sugar or teaspoons since these are all quite unnecessary to enjoy good tea. The teapot, kettle and strainer must be clean as any residues from previous use will affect the flavour.

How to proceed:

  1. Put the water on to boil: about 1 cup (250ml) per person, plus 1.
  2. Pre-heat the teapot by pouring a little very hot water in it from the kettle, just before the water boils. The teapot should feel very hot to the touch.
  3. As the water reaches the boil, pour the hot water out of the teapot.
  4. Add tea to pot: one good, heaped teaspoonful (about 4g) per person, plus one “for the pot”.
  5. Pour the boiling water directly onto the tea.
  6. Stir vigorously with a spoon. Most of the flavour is extracted during these first few seconds, so this step is crucial.
  7. Leave to stand for 3-4 minutes. Any longer and the tannins will start to be extracted, giving the tea that woody or stewed flavour. Cover teapot with tea cosy if room is cold or draughty.
  8. Pour a small quantity of skim milk into each cup (if liked). About 1 tablespoon or 20ml is enough. If there is only full cream milk, use less.
  9. Pour the tea into each cup using the strainer to catch leaves (there should be a few).

All the tea should be poured at once, leaving a little in the pot. Second cups are never as good as the first, so aim to make that first cup large enough!

The tea as poured should be a deep coppery brown, and even with milk added should be a rich coppery brown rather than milky white. The tea in the cup (or mug) should be drinkable for 20 minutes or so, and this time can be extended by covering the cup with a lid.

For a variation, use twice the amount of tea and an even shorter brewing time. This stuff has a real kick!
Enjoy!

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Know Your Teas, Drink Them Right http://teatime.polyomino.com/2007/03/know-your-teas-drink-them-right/ 2007-02-28T13:26:42Z Did you know there are over 3,000 distinctly different teas? There’s little chance you’ll get to try all of them, but luckily there are just a few basic types. If you can figure out what type of tea it is, at least you’ll know how to brew it and what to expect.

There are four main kinds of tea: black, green, white and other (Pu Erh). They range from strong breakfast teas with a powerful caffeine kick to delicate green and yellow teas ideal to share with companions. Most important is how you make the tea, as each kind must be treated just right to get the best out of it. Here you will find the main ways to make tea, including what equipment to use and step by step instructions. They cover:

  1. Strong black tea: Assam (India), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), English Breakfast (blend).
  2. Delicate black tea: Darjeeling (India), Earl Grey (blend, flavoured with bergamot).
  3. Chinese black tea: Lapsang souchong, Oolong, Keemun (China) , Pu Erh (China, post-fermented).
  4. Green teas: Long jing, Gunpowder (China), Gyokuro, Sencha (Japan). Jasmine tea (scented with jasmine flowers).
  5. White tea: Silver needle, Eyebrow (China).

All tea is made from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which looks a lot like the Camellias in our gardens. Although some drinks made from other plants are now called tea, this is really misleading and they should be called an infusion or even a tisane. Here, tea is tea!

Most tea drunk in the Western world is black tea, and most is blended from Assam or similar potent varieties. The leaves are air-dried (oxidised) and broken into small pieces, referred to as Orange Pekoe. The tea needs to be brewed with boiling water for just 3 or 4 minutes to develop its full flavour. It should be strong and invigorating, is ideal for breakfast and is best served in large cups or mugs with a little milk.

By contrast, the delicate black teas come from many different varieties, including mountain teas like Darjeeling and flavoured blends like Earl Grey. Usually the leaves are larger, and the colour is often lighter. The tea usually tastes better if the water is just off the boil and a slightly longer infusion is needed, perhaps 5 or 6 minutes. Most are best without milk, or with only a few drops, and should ideally be served in china teacups with some ceremony.

Chinese black tea and Pu Erh are similar to the delicate black teas but have a range of floral, fruity and smoky flavours. They have the larger leaves and the lighter colour, which tends towards reds and browns. This kind of tea should not be drunk until it has stood for at least 5 minutes, and it continues to improve for at least twice that time. It is usual to pour the first cup and tip it back in the pot to aid mixing. As the leaves are large a strainer is not needed, and the tea is best served without milk. Small traditional China bowls are good too.

Green and white teas are withered (partially dried) and then either pan-fried or steamed to avoid oxidisation and retain the fresh flavour. White teas consist mainly of buds and have a creamy or nutty flavour, while green teas are mainly leaves with a more grassy flavour. Both varieties are rolled into distinctive shapes such as “eyebrows” before final drying. Jasmine tea is green tea flavoured with Jasmine flowers. The tea should be made with very hot rather than boiling water to avoid developing an unpleasant bitter taste. The tea can brew for an extended period and should always be served without milk, bowls preferred.

Each of these teas can also be now be found in tea bags, containing finely powdered tea referred to as “dust”. It can be a challenge to get the water hot enough to get a good flavour, so for any black tea boiling water is a must. Milk should be added after 2 or 3 minutes and mixed by jiggling the bag, which can then be drained and removed (but not squeezed). It is possible to make a reasonably good cup of tea from tea bags if you are careful.

Over the next few posts I’ll explain in more detail for each kind of tea how to make it right and how to drink it right.

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