I don't drink much tea in comparison to most people in the UK, but I've made quite a few cups of tea in my lifetime.
Here are my tips for making the perfect brew:
How to make a cup of tea: Kass-style
1. Teabag goes in first, there's no question about that.
2. Next comes the sugar - I opt for 1 teaspoon and a half. Anyone that puts more than two teaspoons is frowned upon, as are people that don't have sugar in their tea. These people are not "tea purists", they just enjoy the taste of hot water.
3. Speaking of which, hot water goes in next. I know coffee baristas always recommend not using boiling water as this ruins the taste of coffee. I'm not sure if the same applies to tea.
4. Milk is a controversial topic for me. Having grown up in Italy, in a culture where milk isn't added to tea, I'm not sure where I sit on the subject.
If I'm making a tea for myself, I'd either avoid milk altogether, or add just a drop or two - kind of like vermouth in a dry martini.
If I'm making a tea for someone else, I go for a 4:1 ratio of milk to tea (unless they specify otherwise of course).
If there's milk involved, I always select the full-fat option.
5. My tip to a good tea is to make sure you squeeze the teabag against the rim to get all the flavour out.
I like my tea strong, so this makes sene to me. I'm sure there are people out there that would recoil at the thought of draining a teabag for every last drop. It's just the way I roll.
What kind of tea to use?
This is 100% down to personal preference, so my advice would be to "drink around" a bit - don't be afraid to experiment!
Growing up, my parents always seemed to have a supply of Early Grey in the cupboard. In fact, it wasn't until I moved away from home that I realised that wasn't the standard tea that people drank!
In Italy, iced tea is far more common than hot tea. It usually comes in two flavours: Peach or lemon, although iced green tea is becoming a popular alternative.
When it comes to hot tea - there's only two types that I can honestly say I'd drink regularly:
Arabic tea - I tried this in Egypt, and this is the way I think "real men" should drink tea.
They brew it in an ornamental-looking pot, and pour it piping hot into tiny glasses that kind of resemble the shot glasses you'd more often associate with Sambucca.
Arabic tea is always served sweet. I don't ever remember anyone asking me how many teaspoons of sugar I wanted, it just came out on a tray - hot, dark and sweet (kind of like the Johnny Depp of beverages).
Bubble tea - Originating in Taiwan, bubble tea can be served two ways: Milky or fruit.
Essentially, it's a sweet tasting tea that's kind of thick in consistency and has little balls of tapioca floating around the bottom of the cup. In the summer months, these can be enjoyed cold.
Here's a picture of some bubble tea I enjoyed at a Dunkin' Donuts in South Korea:
Green tea is also pretty big in the Far East (and pretty much everywhere else these days).
Having worked in a sushi bar previously, I used to be privy to an unlimited supply of green tea.
Nevertheless, the beverage never managed to win me over. Despite its anti-oxidant richness, and other health benefits - I'd much rather sip on a miso soup to keep me warm during a cold winter's day.
