Teas ‹ Introduction ‹ Preparing and Serving
In Britain, it seems, the panacea for all ills and one of the great pleasures of life is "a nice cup of tea". It can be enjoyed anywhere at anytime, but it is probably most enjoyed when taken at leisure. Although tea is easy to make, a certain amount of care and attention to detail is required if it is to be served at its best.
Use freshly drawn cold water and bring to the boil. Warm the teapot and measure in the tea. Quantities are a matter of personal preference, but as a general guide we recommend one teaspoon per person for small leaf teas, and one teaspoon per person plus one for the pot for the large leaf teas. When the water is boiling pour it directly on to the tea, taking the teapot to the kettle. The larger the leaf size the longer the infusion time. We recommend for small leaf teas (such as Higgins Breakfast Blend, Assam C.T.C. and Duke Street Blend) three minutes; for larger leaf teas (such as Darjeeling Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) five to six minutes.
Always keep the teapot clean. The deposits that will eventually build up in the teapot are detrimental to the flavour of your fine tea.
The recommended way to take tea with milk is to put the milk into the cup first. However, when trying a new tea the quantity of milk may need some adjustment, so experiment at first by putting only a very little milk into the cup before the tea - further milk may then be added if required. Green teas and oolong teas are usually taken without milk. Green teas, especially China teas, may be enjoyed with a slice of lemon. Alternatively, a little sugar is reputed to enhance the flavour and character of green tea.
To purchase teapots, infusers, timers etc. online please see Accessories.