How to Make Everyday English Tea: 15 Steps

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How to Make Everyday English Tea: 15 Steps
How to Make Everyday English Tea: 15 Steps

Video: How to Make Everyday English Tea: 15 Steps

Video: How to Make Everyday English Tea: 15 Steps
Video: I made the WORLDS BEST Drink 😳 2024, March
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Do you want a more English habit than drinking tea with family and friends? There are several teas to choose from, but some of the most popular options in the land of the queen are Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Assam and other types of black or green tea. To prepare the drink, you need to boil water, use a teapot and brew the bags or loose leaves for the correct amount of time. To serve, use the right kind of cup and add milk or sugar if you like. After learning how to make the drink the English way the right way, invite people to delicious afternoon tea in your house!

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Boiling Water

Make English Tea Step 1
Make English Tea Step 1

Step 1. Bring about 4 cups (1 liter) of water to a boil

Put fresh water in the kettle, without filling it to the maximum level, and place it on the fire.

  • Water takes only two or three minutes to boil in an electric kettle.
  • Add enough amount for the amount of tea you want to make.
  • True English tea needs to be made with boiling water, so don't use hot or lukewarm water.
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Step 2. Pour the boiled water into the teapot

Immediately after the water boils, remove the kettle from the heat or turn it off if it is electric. Fill the teapot to the brim, being careful not to overflow the water.

If water is left in the kettle for more than three minutes, discard it, get fresh water and boil it again. Never reuse this water as it can have a metallic taste

Make English Tea Step 3
Make English Tea Step 3

Step 3. Allow the water temperature to cool to 35ºC if you want to make black tea

Place a small cooking thermometer in the pot to monitor the drop in temperature. English black tea is best prepared at 35ºC.

Place the thermometer through the mouth of the teapot. For this, it is necessary to leave it uncapped

Make English Tea Step 4
Make English Tea Step 4

Step 4. Wait two or three minutes for the water to reach between 21°C and 27°C if you are going to make green tea

Use the cooking thermometer to see if the water has reached the correct temperature. Green tea is tastier if it is prepared with water that is within this temperature range, so that it does not become bitter and its flavor layers are more refined.

Part 2 of 3: Making tea

Make English Tea Step 5
Make English Tea Step 5

Step 1. Check the indicated time for the tea to brew

In the tea packaging, there must be instructions regarding the ideal brewing time, which can vary from 30 seconds to five minutes.

  • The longer the tea remains in the brew, the stronger it will be.
  • Black tea is the most common according to the translation, but green tea is also one of the darlings!
  • If there are no preparation instructions on the package, let it steep for two to three minutes.
  • Green tea in sachets usually stays for two to four minutes in infusion.
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Step 2. Put the tea bags in the teapot if you are in a hurry

Remove the bags from the box and place one for each cup of boiled water. Cover the teapot to keep the water warm and keep an eye on the weather to know when to take them out.

  • After you've capped the teapot, it's time to cover it if you have it. The cover, usually crocheted, helps to provide thermal insulation to the teapot, keeping the tea warm.
  • For convenience, people often choose teabags rather than loose leaves.
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Step 3. Take the teabags out of the water after the brewing time

Remove the lid from the teapot and pick up all the bags with the help of a spoon. Let each one drip for a while before placing it in a saucer.

  • Don't forget to take the bags off as soon as the tea is ready. If they stay in the water too long, the tea can turn sour.
  • When removing the tea bags from the teapot, do not squeeze them, as this will also make the tea bitter.
  • You can either throw them in the trash or cut them into small pieces and put them in a compost bin.
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Step 4. Use leaves if you want a better taste

Put 1 teaspoon of leaves for every cup of water in the infuser. Leave it in the lidded teapot for the necessary time of infusion. Take it out of the water as soon as the tea is ready.

  • If the leaves are smaller, the tea should be ready sooner. Large leaves take longer to infuse.
  • If you don't have an infuser, place the leaves directly in the teapot and pass the tea through a sieve when pouring it into the cups.
  • Not sure if you prefer stronger or weaker tea? Try it after a minute and try it again every 30 seconds until you find the exact moment when it was perfect to your liking.

Part 3 of 3: Serving the tea

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Step 1. Serve traditional English tea in the afternoon between 3pm and 4pm

Traditional British tea always takes place in the mid-afternoon, in the gap between lunch and dinner. This is the most common time to enjoy it, but you can have tea whenever you want!

Make English Tea Step 10
Make English Tea Step 10

Step 2. Use porcelain, ceramic or glass cups to serve tea

These materials do not interfere with the taste of the beverage and are easily found in department and home supply stores. The most traditional cup for serving English tea is porcelain.

  • Avoid using plastic or metal cups as they can affect the taste.
  • In more formal or traditional environments, saucers are usually used under the cups, which is not necessary for more casual occasions.
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Step 3. Put the tea in the cups

First, arrange them on a flat surface, make sure the teapot is tightly closed, and pour the tea into each cup.

Be careful not to overfill the cups. Fill about ¾ of the total height, which is the proper amount to prevent the drink from spilling

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Step 4. Add milk to black tea if you like

The amount of milk in English tea depends solely on personal taste. In general, it is not good to exceed the 80:20 ratio of tea and milk. Just a little is enough.

  • Every person has a preference. When in doubt, always ask guests how much milk and sugar you should add before serving.
  • In general, skimmed milk is used in England. Sour cream or whole milk are avoided.
  • The custom is to add milk and sugar only to black tea, while green tea is tasted pure.
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Step 5. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of refined sugar to black tea if desired

Use a clean teaspoon and never add another type of sugar, such as brown sugar. It spoils the flavor of the tea.

Again, each person has their own preference regarding adding sugar. Some like to sweeten it more, others prefer it without

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Step 6. Stir the tea carefully after adding the milk or sugar

Use a clean spoon to gently stir the tea and additional ingredients. Do not let the spoon touch the sides or bottom of the cup to avoid making an annoying noise.

Make English Tea Step 15
Make English Tea Step 15

Step 7. Enjoy the tea with light food

English tea is usually served with scones (typical dumplings), biscuits, cakes or sandwiches. So, a simple drink turns into a typical English afternoon tea!

Tips

  • Within English culture, it is very important to offer a cup of tea to everyone in the house if you are going to prepare the drink for yourself.
  • Try to memorize the preference of your close friends and family. That way you will be recognized as a great host!
  • It is possible to make tea with bags or loose leaves, but choose the bag option if you want convenience and speed.

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