A Morning Cuppa
I start every morning with a cup of black tea. Some of my favorite loose leaf black teas include most Assam teas, Supernatural Black (Japan) from Postcard Teas in London, or No 10 Blend from Murchies in Canada. For a tea bag, I enjoy Tea Pigs' English Breakfast.
Here's how to do it:
- 1 teaspoon loose black tea leaves or 1 black tea bag
- 8 ounces of fresh water (filtered if possible)
- Sugar or honey (optional)
- Milk or cream (optional)
Add fresh water to your kettle. Tea loves oxygen and the oxygen in fresh water allows the flavor of the tea to develop. I’m guilty of reusing the same boiled water in the kettle but after a while you’ll notice that you’re morning cuppa is falling a bit flat.
Heat the water to 205F/100C degrees. I heat mine to 212F but I like a strong cup of black tea.
While the water is boiling, add the loose leaf tea to a filter bag and place in your cup (or a tea bag). Once the water finishes boiling, let it sit for a minute before pouring over your tea. This prevents burning your tea leaves!
Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes, depending on your preferred strength.
Remove the tea filter or bag.
Add your favorite sweetener and/or milk, cream, non-dairy milk. I like a 1/4 tsp honey and a teaspoon of milk or cream.