How to make the perfect cup of tea

The perfect cup of tea is an adventure and a situation of self that tea lovers around the world have been trying to attain ever since the golden coloured liquid became a commonplace drinking delicacy among popular culture. The history and introduction of tea into the masses is something of an enigma itself with a story that spans centuries and has formed the complete identity of some ethnicities including the identity of the British Empire and her former colonies to name a few.

                                                                        Img via pikrepo

Water Temperature

Having the right ingredients with you is just one part of the whole science that goes into making the perfect cup of tea. The pre-requisite of making what you would call the most perfect cup of tea depends on the water temperature. The right temperature depends on the kind of tea as well as local conditions including geography and weather conditions. The benchmark would be 70 degrees Celsius for green tea and 96 degrees Celsius for black Ceylon tea.
It would also depend on how strong you want your tea to be. Some people drink it when it is a light golden while others love the strong amber colour and the flavour that it leaves in your mouth afterwards. That would depend on the brewing time. This would be a minute and up to 3 or 4 if you want a stronger flavour. If you prefer to drink your tea plain, less time brewing is advised.

Adding Milk

Giving your tea a creamy texture can be something some people enjoy while others don't. This also depends on where you are having your tea. Asians tend to over-sweeten their tea in some countries and drink it with just milk and no sugar in other cases. Some countries like Hong Kong use condensed milk instead of full cream while others use plant-based thin milk instead of animal milk. Either way, this boils down to your personal preference and what sort of local delicacies you like to take with your tea.

The Environment

If you are interested in how tea shapes the countries and cultures that consume it, you should visit sites like The Dine and Wine to do some research on your own. Then you can make several types of tea until you settle on something that satisfies your taste. Teatime in most countries is an integral part of their culture. Families and friends will gather together over a cup of tea and some sweets to discuss things. Tea will be served at business meetings or when welcoming a guest to a home or institution. In countries like Kenya, Sri Lanka and India, tea revolves around whole cultures.

Make Your Own Tea Bags

If you are serious about making the perfect cup of tea every time. Consider making your own tea bags out of any kind of cloth that would drain well. Then you can buy your favourite loose leaf and experiment with blending flavours as well as how much tea leaves a bag holds in order to get the perfect colour and brew with your tea. This would also enable you to experiment with blends, adding a bit of orange pekoe to your rich Ceylon black tea or maybe a little Earl Grey for that extra rustic tang. The opportunities are as endless as your imagination. Once you get the right dosage, temperature and brewing time down to a science, every cup of tea will be a dream come true and you won't have to spend a long time in the process either. Remember, that the perfect cup of tea doesn't exist. It has to be the perfect cup of tea for you.