Tea for Two

Have you ever thought of greeting the morning with a cup of English Breakfast, passing the afternoon with Darjeeling and spending late nights with Jasmine or Chamomile?

T2, Chatswood store, Sydney

That’s how one leading English connoisseur of tea structures his day – and let’s not underestimate his enthusiasm.  He even carries his own tea with him when he travels – just to be sure. Makes sense when you know that English Breakfast’s hearty flavour mixes well with milk, that Darjeeling’s delicate blend of Himalayan teas is excellent for afternoon tea and that Jasmine and Chamomile, with their flowery bouquets, encourage relaxation. Back in the nineteenth century, it became something of a status symbol for gentlemen like Earl Grey and the Prince of Wales to have their own blend of tea made specially for them. If that sounds quaint, why not take a leaf out of their box and devise your own? Given the fantastic range of tea shops available these days, you could create a blend (or blends) specially suited to your taste. You might like, for example, to try a green and black tea combo. Maybe you’re a black tea lover but want to increase your consumption of green tea because of all the positive health findings associated with it ?  Try steeping loose green tea for 60-90 seconds, then add a pinch of jasmine green and a good dose of blended loose black tea, and steep for another 20-30 seconds (time will depend on how fine the black tea is). This makes a delicious brew with all the health benefits of green, but with the punch of black.

2nd Earl Grey

English prime minister Earl Grey (1764-1845) is best remembered for the tea named after him. According to various tea legends, the blend was given to him by a Chinese Mandarin seeking to influence trade relations. The second most popular tea in the world today, it is an aromatic blend of Sri Lankan and Chinese teas lightly enhanced with bergamot oil and is drunk with or without milk, or with a slice of lemon. But you don’t need a Chinese Mandarin to design your own tea blend.

Selection of Alice Cho’s Chinese Teas

You might prefer something as simple and refreshing as lemongrass. These days you can buy dried lemongrass and all you need to do is put some into a teapot or tea infuser and pour boiling water over it. Leave it to steep for a few minutes then strain. If  it is growing in your garden, cut it fresh right down at the base of the stalk , snip into1cm lengths and infuse  in hot water.

Lemongrass

The native Australian bush ingredient lemon myrtle makes another beautiful aromatic tea. If it’s something rich and exotic you like, try making your own chai . This combination of  Formosan low tannin black tea with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, star anise, nutmeg and cloves is very popular in India.  Steep the mixture in hot water then add plenty of warm milk and sugar.  A marvellous night cap – and a great mid-morning drink. The modern term “tea” in fact derives from early Chinese dialect words – such as Tchai, Cha and Tay – used both to describe the beverage and the leaf.

Chai being prepared at The Tea Centre, Sydney