An American guide to drinking tea challenges the Brits' knowledge regarding the way of drinking the beverage their country is famous for.
Metro UK reports the new book entitled, "How To Make Tea: The Science Behind The Leaf" features the proper way of preparing the "perfect brew" which is described as "an ethereal infusion, the ghost of a scent walking across your taste buds."
According to the Seattle-based co-author and tea researcher, Brian Keating, "North America is now considered the launch pad for a global interest in speciality tea . . . and a vibrant tea culture."
Now this claim got the Brits asking, "Really?"
Well the director of the UK Tea and Infusions Association (UKTIA) Bill Gorman agrees. Although Brits drink 165 million cups of tea daily, Gorman says some of them do not really understand the science of tea-making.
"I can tell you that there are differences even in my office at the centre of the British tea industry," Gorman told The Sunday Times. "I like my teabag to sit 4-5 minutes, making for a zingier flavour, but my colleague is a 30-second dunker,"
University College London professor of Materials and Society, Mark Miodownik supports this fact.
"This may be controversial, but the British do not understand how to make tea! Or at least they're not doing it properly," Miodownik told Metro UK. "Expediency is causing us to throw chemistry out of the window; we're not allowing our tea to brew for long enough, to release the flavours properly."
"What you make tea in, and drink it out of, is also important. It alters the taste," he added.
According to the British Standards Institution's best practice guidelines, tea is best served in a porcelain tea pot.
A small tea pot is good for two tea bags, and a big one is for four. After pouring freshly-boiled water until 4mm to 6 mm below the brim, put the lid back on and let the tea bag sit in for 6 minutes.
Temperature of the water must be between 60°C to 85°C for 'optimum flavour and sensation'.
BSI added to pour milk into the cup first before pouring tea to those who like milk with their tea.
