What's new

Calling all Brits!

I am lazy myself so I tend to brew tea in the cup. If I do use a teapot, if its for 2 people then I will put three bags in there. Personally I like my tea strong, builders tea!
Mostly I use Yorkshire tea as I find it the strongest, add a bag to the cup with brown sugar then dump the water in there. Leave it to brew for about four minutes and add a drop of milk. Personally I only like semi skimmed milk in tea, full fat milk is too creamy and ruins the brew for me.
As for biscuits the best dunker is a Hob Nob! But they will drink the brew for you. Second to that it has to be the digestive, chocolate or otherwise. Then thirdly the custard cream.
Now I need a brew and a biscuit!
Thanks for the info, Ive never heard of brown sugar being used in tea, I'll have to give that a try. The whole biscuit world interests me as well. I can remember it was common practice for myself and my siblings to dunk our cookies, usually vanilla wafers, in our Kool-aid. I was even scolded by a kindergarten teacher for it. She said only old ladies with no teeth dunked their cookies in anything other than milk! I've tried several of the available tea cookies here,( Im in Oklahoma, so if they labeled them biscuits here there would be mass confusion) and I definitely see the attraction/obsession. I'm not sure how they go over in England, but I'm a big fan of the almond windmills and lemon bars. I don't quite have a feel for what the digestives would be similar to here, I'll probably have to just add some to my next tea order.
 
Bring the pot to the kettle means to keep the water boiling until you pour it over the bags (the hotter the better in the world of English tea preparation)

Warming the pot goes for pottery pots, stainless does not matter. A heavy pottery pot should get boiling water in it, kettle back to the fire, lid on the pot, swirled and poured out, then tea in, back to the still boiling kettle and filled.

Tea cozy is a given so is another vessel of hot water to be added for the 2nd and subsequent cups to "thin" out the still steeping tea.

Milk and sugar in the cup first is the typical serving method but here in the US there are no "tea police" so anything goes, even honey in your tea.

Betty's Tea Room in Harrogate has some pretty fantastic teas if you want some superb English tea.

http://www.bettys.co.uk/

I see they have expanded when looking at their web site. When I was last there, only one tea room was in operation and it was more of an experience/adventure than just tea.

Marks and Spencer had a very good selection and I am sure they are online now too as they are a pretty large retailer over there.

Have fun with your "Brit tea adventures"
Thanks for the leads Turtle!
 
Regarding the sub-topic of Milk in the US versus UK, I am still a little skeptical of there being big differences, but will point out some articles for those you are curious/interested in food safety:

Why is American milk banned in Europe and Canada? - This is mainly about the allowed use of recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), also known as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) in the US. I usually buy my milk from Trader Joe's, with labels which state "The Farmers who supply our Trader Joe's Branded milk - Have pledged not to treat their cows with rBST", but taste wise I don't really detect much difference.

You're Drinking the Wrong Kind of Milk - For those you are lactose intolerant. It makes a point about the differences between American/European Cows vs African/Asian Cows - and A1 vs A2 proteins

Pasteurized Vs. Homogenized Milk: What's The Difference? - There was some internet chatter that Ultra-Heat Treatment (UHT) used in some locations affected the taste (and shelf life) of milk. I have no opinion.

Florida Creamery Fights Gov-Mandated Mislabeling of Skim Milk - story about mandated standards that may have gone a step too far.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom