"Been" in AmEng

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:11 am

Stephen Jones wrote:I have to admit that I use teabags, but I would never dream of leaving them in the cup when I offer someone some tea.

'When offering to make some tea, not leaving the teabag in the cup before pouring the water is inadvisable' (Point of Etiquette No. 123).

Anuradha Chepur · Post by **Anuradha Chepur** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:24 am

In my place, using teabags is considered elite? or convenient (in offices for instance), and they are left in the cup. At home people use the leaf.

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:25 am

You can ask them if you should leave the tea bag in, though, so that they can adjust the strength of the brew to their taste - and where I'm from that can be both before or after adding milk.

If you are going to do things properly you serve a tray with sugar cubes and tongs, cold milk in a jug, tea in a pot covered with a tea cosy, and a pot of hot water, which can be used to adjust the strength and also is added to the teapot as it empties so the tea doesn't stew.

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:27 am

In my place, using teabags is considered elite? or convenient (in offices for instance), and they are left in the cup.

India and Sri Lanka are notorious for being the worst places in the world to drink a cup of tea in. They even use evaporated milk for God's sake.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:31 am

Evaporated milk? Sounds yummy!

You know, I misread 'tong' as 'thong' at first...

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:49 am

Stephen Jones wrote:If you are going to do things properly you serve a tray with sugar cubes and tongs, cold milk in a jug, tea in a pot covered with a tea cosy, and a pot of hot water, which can be used to adjust the strength and also is added to the teapot as it empties so the tea doesn't stew.

It seems you have a lot of time on your hands.

Anuradha Chepur · Post by **Anuradha Chepur** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:50 am

India and Sri Lanka are notorious for being the worst places in the world to drink a cup of tea in. They even use evaporated milk for God's sake.

India owes tea and cricket to the British. We are now doing better than them at both.

Talking about tea, two things are famous - the Japanese tea ceremony and the tasty Hyderabadi Irani tea.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:57 am

metal56 wrote:
Stephen Jones wrote:If you are going to do things properly you serve a tray with sugar cubes and tongs, cold milk in a jug, tea in a pot covered with a tea cosy, and a pot of hot water, which can be used to adjust the strength and also is added to the teapot as it empties so the tea doesn't stew.
It seems you have a lot of time on your hands.

It must be nice, though, having resplendent teatimes like that - perhaps as breaks from digesting whole chapters of the CGEL?

JuanTwoThree · Post by **JuanTwoThree** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 11:47 am

I fear that a tea-cosy is often irredeemably tasteless and has a deleterious effect on the tea, stewing it. Notwithstanding, its use is permitted if and only if:

a) a tea-ball has been employed and the tea cannot stew further, all the tea leaves safely contained in the tea-ball having been removed by a retainer (the same would be true had the said servant been ordered to remove the teabag or bags, were not tea-bags themselves ineffably common and of low quality, containing as they do inferior leaves, dust and factory sweepings fit only for the lower orders)

and b): if the tea.cosy is not of a vulgar design. That the teacosy be of a woefully unfortunate and unaesthetic nature is, however, more than likely.

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:52 pm

fear that a tea-cosy is often irredeemably tasteless

You're not supposed to eat them; if you're hungry serve scones and jam.

If you add water to the tea, with the tea leaves in, then it will counter the effect of stewing, though as you say it is better to have the tea leaves in the metal ball and remove it before the tea is taken to table (or if you are using high quality tea bags (Twining's Darjeeling for example) then remove them from the pot).

Tea bags actually cost twice the price of leaf tea, and often contain fannings or dust as Juan has rightfully said.

A retainer is not necessary to remove them, and if one is in distressed circumstances, as metal and fluffy evidently are, the operation can be performed by the house owner as long he takes care not to drop ash into the teapot from the roll up hanging from his lips.

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:56 pm

India like Sri Lanka produces superb quality black tea, but the cup you get in the local kade is vile, though probably not as vile as the local coffee.

And if you want to buy tea or coffee London is still the best place in the world.

Anuradha Chepur · Post by **Anuradha Chepur** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 1:02 pm

or if you are using high quality tea bags (Twining's Darjeeling for example)

Darjeeling is a city in India, FAMOUS for green and other tea. I'm surprised it's considered "high quality tea" in London too.

By the way, India is the largest producer of tea in the world.

wilderson · Post by **wilderson** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:26 pm

If you are going to do things properly you serve a tray with sugar cubes and tongs, cold milk in a jug, tea in a pot covered with a tea cosy, and a pot of hot water, which can be used to adjust the strength and also is added to the teapot as it empties so the tea doesn't stew.

Serve tea to others as they would serve tea to themselves!

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:12 pm

Darjeeling is probably considered the best Indian tea.

By the way, India is the largest producer of tea in the world.

India produces superb teas; I quite agree. What I am saying however is that the tea they serve you in a roadside cafe is atrocious, and ruined by the taste of the evaporated milk. Same in Sri Lanka.

Incidentally, one tea I miss because you can't buy it in Saudi or Lanka is Twinings Russian Caravan Tea.

And what I do drink in Saudi, is mint tea. You use green tea and put bunches of fresh (or dried at a pinch) mint in the class. Sugar is necessary in this case.

oceanbreeze · Post by **oceanbreeze** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 7:30 pm

Oh yes, I do like my mint tea and, by the way, it's a ten-minute cure for stomach upsets/cramps! I just brew a teaspoon of dried mint per cup - though I do prefer the taste without sugar.