Regional tea differences & Orwell on tea

[untonuggan]

One of my favorite knitting bloggers has a good post on regional tea differences in the UK (i.e. Yorkshire Gold versus, say, Barry's). She also includes a very interesting piece written by George Orwell in 1946 entitled, "A Nice Cup of Tea" which includes his general rules for making tea.

Comments

[hyperbole]

Thank you! This is off-topic, but oh, Scotland. I've studied in Edinburgh for two years and am on a year abroad in other European countries right now, and I cannot wait to go back to Edinburgh in September. Every mention of the city makes me squeal, so that blog makes me really happy.

As for Orwell's tea rules, well, I'm not actually going to take his advice of drinking my tea unsweetened for a fortnight. Nor do I think I could even drink a whole cup from a pot made with six heaped teaspoons! wow.

[untonuggan]

Her blog is great! I love it! ^_^

Orwell's tea rules are rather interesting. For some of them, I'm like, "You are so right, you tell it to those tea heathens!" and for others I'm like, "What are you talking about, you're so strict!" But they are entertaining nonetheless.

[proseac]

This is fascinating! Here in Canada we don't have any such regional differences (that I'm aware of, anyway). I'll be heading "across the pond" next year on a tour of Scotland with Chorus Niagara, and staying on afterwards to visit with a friend who lives in Cumbria, so I'll have to check out the tea they mention as being particular to that region.

The Orwell essay is brilliant, although I don't agree with every one of his eleven rules. I can drink tea without sugar, although I prefer it with. Haven't been able to abide milk in my tea ever since I took it out when I was doing Weight Watchers some years ago. Heating the pot is optional for me, but yes, yes, YES, the water must be BOILING when it hits the leaves!!!

[untonuggan]

I know some of the teas he is talking about (and hunt them down when I can in the US) as my mum is British and from Yorkshire. So, lots of Yorkshire Gold, although I find my family is also willing to drink whatever happens to be on sale at Tesco's (the supermarket). Which is usually Tetley's or P.G. Tips or something. Anyway, enjoy your trip and drink all the teas!

Orwell is hilarious, and I agree that some of it really is a matter of personal preference - except for the boiling water rule. At least, for black tea. I think for green tea it's supposed to be a slightly lower temperature (according to some book I read and my fancy electric tea kettle). That's the problem with tea in restaurants in the US - they just make your tea with hot water and it tastes like dishwater. Blech.