Well, the Chinese-style teas like jasmine, green, etc don't really lend themselves to milk and sugar, that's very true. In fact, green tea always makes me feel a little dizzy. Chinese tea rocks with Chinese food, though. I don't do Earl Grey with milk or sugar, but some people do take it that way (it always looks this horrible grey colour to my mind, but hey).
I ask about the boiling water because as a tea-drinking nation we are very aware that the temperature of the water affects the flavour. I think it might be that a certain temperature of the water is necessary to bring out all of the flavours, or something, but there is some kind of science involved because the water temp definitely makes a difference. We can taste tea made with tepid water here instantly, kind of the way that the Japanese can guess how fresh a fish they're served is within an accuracy of hours. It is a truth universally acknowledged that the water should meet the tea no later than ten and ideally no more than four seconds after it has reached boiling point.
That said, it used to amaze me in the States, and in other non-tea-drinking nations, that they would serve you hot water and the tea seperately, just sitting the cup. Entire minutes could go by before leafy infusion met hot water! Just considering such an abomination makes me feel vaguely ill, and then want to start a protest group.
That said, I'm not one of these people that frets about scalding the milk by putting it in first before the water (I rarely do that, but I don't have *issues* with it). I wouldn't want people to think I was at all anal about this, or anything...
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Tea, marvelous tea!
Date: 2005-10-20 02:29 pm (UTC)I ask about the boiling water because as a tea-drinking nation we are very aware that the temperature of the water affects the flavour. I think it might be that a certain temperature of the water is necessary to bring out all of the flavours, or something, but there is some kind of science involved because the water temp definitely makes a difference. We can taste tea made with tepid water here instantly, kind of the way that the Japanese can guess how fresh a fish they're served is within an accuracy of hours. It is a truth universally acknowledged that the water should meet the tea no later than ten and ideally no more than four seconds after it has reached boiling point.
That said, it used to amaze me in the States, and in other non-tea-drinking nations, that they would serve you hot water and the tea seperately, just sitting the cup. Entire minutes could go by before leafy infusion met hot water! Just considering such an abomination makes me feel vaguely ill, and then want to start a protest group.
That said, I'm not one of these people that frets about scalding the milk by putting it in first before the water (I rarely do that, but I don't have *issues* with it). I wouldn't want people to think I was at all anal about this, or anything...