A Proper Cup of Tea

Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors. ~Alice Walker

There is nothing more synonymous with the British lifestyle than drinking a cup of hot tea. Most of us prepare our “spot” of tea with little thought given as to how we prepare it. Not surprisingly, many of us go about it completely the wrong way. Coming from a family with a rich European heritage, I learned at a very young age not only how to prepare a proper cup of tea, but that it is well the extra effort. Perhaps A.A. Milne said it best,

“A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards.”

How to Make a Proper Cup of Hot Tea

Boil the water in a kettle (no shortcuts in the microwave)
Pour a bit of water into your teapot (the teapot itself should have more than one hole in the spout), swirl it around and then pour it out. This is called “warming” the pot.
Add the tea bags (no strings, please) or the loose leaves in a tea strainer and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Serve with sugar or sugar cube, thin lemon slices and a small pitcher of milk.
Sit down, relax, and enjoy your proper cup of tea the English way.

Teavana is one of my favorite places to buy tea. They have an incredible selection and, so far, I haven’t met a tea I didn’t like.

CocoCaramel Sea Salt Herbal Tea

Shape Up Tea Blend

Pineapple Kona Pop Herbal Tea

And here’s the next one on my list of new teas to try:

Acai Matetini Mate Tea

Description from the Teavana Site: The newest craze in cocktails inspired this fusion of real fruit, herbs and flowers with mate tea. Our mock martini is a classy notch up, first blending ‘superfruits’ acai, blueberry, raspberry and blackberry. Added to that are crisp granny smith apples & sweet pineapple, brightened with the zesty citrus notes of orange, lemongrass and hibiscus. Cheers! SUPERFRUIT ENHANCED

Gossamer Butterflies Porcelain Tea Set