How to Make the Perfect Cup of Tea (and more)

“There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea.” Bernard-Paul Heroux

Here at Women’s Nook we love tea. The pantry overflows with various leaves and flavours – from traditional Earl Gray and Darjeeling to herbal blends such as Sencha and Quince. Nothing beats the calming effect of a ‘cuppa’ when you’re feeling a little run down or agitated. Besides its relaxing properties, we now know that tea is full of extra goodies such as antioxidants and vitamins.

The Tea Centre, in Sydney, provided us with some handy hits for how to make the perfect cup.

How to make the perfect cup of classic tea

• Warm your tea cup or pot (The Tea Centre assures it really does make a difference)
• Turn the kettle off just before boiling point. Boiled water drains the water of oxygen
• Brew large leaf black teas for approcimately 3-5 minutes whilst finer cuts brew between 2-4 minutes. Do not brew your tea for too long as this is often the cause of a bitter aftertaste
• Milk can be added to all black teas, but The Tea Centre  recommends you try theirs without milk as it can mask the delicate flavour
• Sugar and honey is up to the individual but it’s perfectly ok to add to your tea

Chai Masala

Chai Masala is a popular Indian blend of black tea and spices (chai means tea and masala means spice). Traditionally it was made with condensed milk, but today it is generally brewed with milk, or soymilk and sweetened with honey.

• Fill your mug totally with your choice of milk (soy milk is my favourite with chai). Alternatively, try half milk and half water
• Combine milk with 1 heaped teaspoon per mug of chai leaves in saucepan, and stir well
• Heat liquid until small bubbles appear and remove. Do not boil
• Add sugar or honey to mixture making sure it dissolves well. Sugar and honey helps to draw the tea from the leaves
• Turn off heat and let stand for 2 minutes. For stronger tea, let stand for 1-2 minutes longer
• Slowly strain the liquid into your mug
• Drink hot and enjoy a warm spicy treat

Iced Tea

• Any tea can be made iced, but fruit infusions and flavoured tea are exceptional as they make a great natural and refreshing drink ideal in the warmer months as a great thirst quencher
• Generally you will need approximately one tablespoon of tea or infusion per litre of water. This will depend on the leaf size
• Use cold water on tea leaves as hot water will increase bitterness
• Leave in fridge for at least 4-8 hours, but for best results, leave overnight
• Serve on ice, add lemon or citrus slices, fruit or mint leaves
• Add a little honey or sugar syrup as this brings out the fruity flavour
• To make sugar syrup , combine equal parts sugar and boiling water. Stir until dissolved

If you’re looking for something to nibble at while sipping your tea, why not stay in theme? Click here to make a delicious Tea and Fruit Loaf.

• Visit The Tea Centre for more information. We order our tea online and it arrives very promptly. Have a tea tasting using some of their teas and you’ll be amazed at the flavours.

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