Well Can You Do It Properly ... make a cup of tea that is! According to this article, a new study has shown that "Most Brits Don't Know How To Make A Decent Cup Of Tea ..........
We Brits may be known for our love of tea, but according to a new study, the majority of us don't know how to make a decent cuppa.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) studied the tea-drinking habits of 1,000 Brits as part of British Science Week.
They found that while three quarters of the nation drink at least one cup of tea each day, 80% of us don't let our tea brew for long enough to achieve the optimum taste.
According to the researchers, tea should be brewed for between two and five minutes to release its full flavour.
But 37% of tea-drinkers brew their tea for significantly less time at one to two minutes on average.
"This may be controversial, but the British do not understand how to make tea! Or at least they're not doing it properly. And it's because they don't understand the variables," Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials and Society at University College London and spokesperson for British Science Week, said in the study.
"Expediency is causing us to throw chemistry out of the window - we're not allowing our tea to brew for long enough, to release the flavours properly."
On the topic of which goes first, milk or tea, the study found that the majority of people believe if you are making tea in a mug you should add the milk after the boiling water.
Over two thirds (69%) of tea-drinkers add milk after the boiling water, with those aged 65 or over being more likely to add milk before.
The UCL study follows a guide on how to make 'The Perfect Cup of tea' which was released by the British Standard's Institution last month.
Although the guide has only just been brought to public attention it was developed in 1980 to help professional tea testers.
The guide states that tea should be left to infuse in a tea pot for six minutes, supporting the UCL finding that the majority of us are missing out on the perfect cuppa due to impatience."
Well readers will know I do like my cup of tea, especially with my LCHF breakfast, so do I need to 'fine-tune' my tea making skills. I'll just go and make one and see .....
All the best Jan
7 comments:
I find that my tea-making strategies differ depending on what type of tea I'm drinking. I like my green tea to be a medium strength while I like my peppermint tea strong. Guess it depends on what definition of 'perfect' applies to your particular cup :)
I like a strong cup of tea with just a splash of milk.
Ben
I love my tea but I think Brits would shudder to see how we make it here in the US. Tea bags;) I love many of the flavored teas and do have much of the proper equipment (tea pot, loose tea, a strainer that fits into the pot) but it takes some time to use so I just grab a tea bag most mornings. Even the directions on our loose tea recommend leaving the tea in the strainer for one minute. I will try steeping it for 5 full minutes, I might like it much better.
I think this is down to the fact that most cups of tea are now made in a mug rather than a teapot. It's a case of showing the water the teabag and then taking it straight back out again. I don't drink tea very often, only a few times a year, but my mum and dad always allow their tea to brew properly before removing the teabag.
Oh Dear I use tea bags a real tea fan would use leaves:(
Many thanks to all for reading and taking time to comment, its appreciated.
I guess the right way to drink tea for any of us is the way we enjoy it. Some like strong tea, some prefer weak tea ... some with milk and some not.
But the kettle is on so I'm off to make a cup ......
Thanks again for leaving your comments
All the best Jan
Tea is to Brits what coffee is to the Yanks. Drink it as you enjoy it.
Ted
Post a Comment