Keys to brewing an exemplary cup of tea |
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Jane D. O'Donoghue
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June 2012
By Jane D. O'Donoghue
PRIME guest columnist
I recall my Grandmother making a cup of tea for herself when I was young. She always started with fresh cold water and brought it to a rolling boil. While the water was heating, she rinsed the teapot with hot tap water to temper it. Next, she added the exact amount of tea leaves and covered them with the boiled water. After allowing that to steep, she was ready to relax and enjoy it. If there was toast or other nibble around, that completed her collation.
There is nothing quite like a comforting cup of tea for a mid-afternoon break. This is also a chance to sit down, leave your work area, and relax. A break can apply to any working people, at-home-mothers or foot-sore shoppers. Most work places today seem to have the requisite coffee pot in employee break rooms, yet never the facility to bring some fresh water to a boil for a spot of tea. This is just as easily accommodated as the coffee alternative. New electric kettles can bring small portions of water to the proper temperature quickly. The briskly boiled water awakens the flavor and releases a pleasing aroma. A variety of tea bags nearby should satisfy the tea drinker. Any variety of snacks to accompany the drink can complete a fifteen minute respite to revive the mind and body.
Today, most tea drinkers appreciate the convenience of tea bags as opposed to loose tea leaves. These contain the approximate amount that Gramma instinctively knew was perfect for her taste. Recently I checked the tea aisle at my local supermarket. As the enjoyment and appreciation of tea in its various flavors and scents has grown, companies have obliged us with a plethora of choices. I counted the different types for the amazing number of 134 varieties. These vary from traditional black or green teas to herbals, organics, medicinal, and decaffeinated.
Selections are labeled with tempting names such as French Vanilla, Wild Berry Zinger, Chamomile Mango and Lemon Everyday Detox. I counted 16 different labels. Some are familiar from my childhood such as Lipton, Salada and Tetley.
All of this is fine if you're purchasing it and preparing at home, or hopefully, at your work place. My concern is, why can't some restaurants, coffee shops, and fast food stops, prepare it correctly? Of course there are exceptions such as any Asian, Russian, Irish restaurants or genuine Tea Rooms. At these establishments, you are offered your tea in a lidded pot accompanied by a cup and saucer.
The standard presentation today means you probably will be given a cup of lukewarm water with a tea bag of your choice on the saucer. This means the tea never meets boiling water and cannot brew properly. If, by chance, the water takes on the color of insipid tea, the bag lingers in the cup. Or, if you remove that, where should it go? On the saucer, it will seep under the cup and drip when you lift it. It would be improper to place it on the table or counter. Therefore, you are left with the choice of dangling the string and tag on the side and sipping as delicately as possible. In such cases, it would be appreciated to have a small receptacle to deposit the soggy item. This is not enjoyment, relaxing, or tasting a properly brewed cup of your favorite.
It is a mystery to me why food purveyors do not honor tea drinkers. A coffee customer is presented with a cup of hot brew, and in some places servers continually roam with pots of fresh and hot refills. The tea drinker might be offered another cup of lukewarm water, or maybe another teabag. This is not acceptable.
I formally plead with them to boil the water, offer individual teapots and smile. If a customer wants a weaker cup of tea, they can remove the tea quickly, and others can allow the flavor and aroma to brew to perfection. Can you hear me?
Jane D. O'Donoghue is a Hungry Hill native and retired school librarian. Her writing has appeared in local and regional publications.
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