METHODS OF MAKING TEA
Upon steeping tea in hot water, a very pleasant beverage
results. If this is properly made, a gentle stimulant that can be indulged in occasionally by normal adults
without harmful results can be expected. However, the value of tea as a beverage has at all times been
much overestimated.
When it is served as afternoon tea, as is frequently done, its chief value lies in the
pleasant hospitality that is afforded by pouring it. Especially is this the case in England, where the
inhabitants have adopted the pretty custom of serving afternoon tea and feel that guests have not
received the hospitality of the home until tea has been served. Through their continued use of this
beverage, the English have become expert in tea making.
The Russians are also adepts so far as the making of tea is concerned. They use a very good kind
of tea, called caravan tea, which is packed in lead-covered packages and brought to them by caravans.
This method of packing and delivery is supposed to have a ripening effect on the leaves and to give
them an unusually good flavor. For making tea, the Russians use an equipment called a samovar.
This is an urn that is constantly kept filled with boiling water, so that tea can be served to all visitors or callers
that come, no matter what time of day they arrive.
Most persons, however, make tea into a beverage by steeping it in boiling water or by placing it in
a tea ball or some similar utensil and then allowing it to stand in boiling water for a short time.
Whichever method of preparation is followed, the water must be at the boiling point and it must be
freshly boiled. Water that has been boiled for any length of time becomes very insipid and flat to the
taste and affects the flavor of the tea.
Tea leaves that have been used once should never be resteeped, for more tannin is extracted than is
desirable and the good tea flavor is lost, producing a very unwholesome beverage. As a rule, 1 to 1-1/2
teaspoonfuls of tea to 1 cupful of water is the proportion followed in tea making.
STEEPED TEA.--When tea is to be steeped, a teapot is used. That the best results may be
secured, the teapot should always be freshly scalded and the water freshly boiled.
STEEPED TEA
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 Tb. tea
1 qt. boiling water
Scald the teapot. Put the tea into the teapot and pour the boiling water over it. Let stand on the back of
the stove for 3 minutes, when a beverage of sufficient strength will be formed. Strain the beverage from
the tea leaves and serve at once.
AFTERNOON TEA.--When tea is desired for afternoon serving or when it is to be prepared at
the table, a tea ball is the most satisfactory utensil to use. This is a perforated silver or aluminum ball,
such as shown in Fig. 6, which opens by means of a hinge and into which the tea is placed. For
convenience in use, a chain is attached to the ball and ends in a ring that is large enough to slip over the
finger. Some teapots contain a ball attached to the inside of the lid and suspended inside the pot.
Utensils of this kind are very convenient, for when the tea made in them becomes strong enough, the
leaves may be removed without pouring off the tea.
To prepare afternoon tea with a tea ball, put 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of tea in the ball, fasten it securely,
and place it in a cup. Then pour enough freshly boiled water over the ball to fill the cup to the desired
height. Allow the ball to remain in the water until the desired strength is attained and then remove it. If
more than 2 or 3 persons are to be served, it will be necessary to refill the ball.
ICED TEA.--Perhaps one of the most refreshing drinks for warm weather is iced tea. A tea that is
especially blended for this purpose and that is cheaper in price than other tea may be purchased. Slices
of lemon or crushed mint leaves add much to the flavor of the tea and are often served with it.
Prepare tea by steeping it, but make it double strength. Strain it from the leaves and allow it to
become cool. Then pour it into glasses containing cracked ice. Serve with sugar and slices of lemon or
mint leaves.
LEFT-OVER TEA.--Tea that remains after all persons are served need not be wasted if it is
poured off the leaves at once. Such tea is satisfactory for iced tea, or it may be combined with certain
fruit juices in the preparation of various cold beverages. However, there are not many satisfactory uses
for left-over tea; so it is best to take pains not to make more than will be required for one time.
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