Cold tea and the 'Optimal Tea Temperature' range
While on the subject of tea and my adopted country, as elaborated in my last post, I feel like I must write a mini-post to share my confoundedness on meeting folk with a taste for a hot beverage which has turned into a cool drink.
Over a decade of meetings in London, some held in glossy glass buildings, some in transport depots and others in no nonsense office blocks, one thing has been consistent. There is almost always a British person (more than one sometimes) who will pour a cup of tea, with or without sugar and milk, take a few sips and then place it on the saucer. Twenty minutes into the meeting, by which time the air-conditioning has frozen that cup of tea into a drink cold enough to be worthy of a native of the Sahara desert, the gentleman (and it is too often the men) will loftily raise the cup again and continue to enjoy the remainder of the cup's contents.
To this day I cannot quite fathom why people here do that. Apart from the obvious health disbenefits of cold tea, it just tastes awful when its not hot or warm. To me anyway.
Lest you think I belong to the cult of boiling-hot tea lovers let me clarify that I like my tea to arrive hot (and with plenty of milk) following which I need it to go down to the 'Goldilocks' temperature which is not too hot and certainly not cold. I have worked out that the whole process from kettle to cup, to cooling and finally the 'start sipping' point takes about 3.5 minutes in ambient conditions (read 21'C AC). Then for approximately 7.5 minutes after that, a small cup of tea stays at this 'Ira's Optimal Tea Temperature' range. Perhaps I should get a patent on this range. I'm certain its use will bring joy to many lives.
Now this 7.5 minute range does put some pressure on me to consume this beverage quite quickly. The size of the cup is key to this. And the milk must be warm. On a slow afternoon, a small quick shot of this chai will do the job. Somewhat like the old Mumbai-office style chai that was delivered to us in baby cups. Often with a the flavour of cardamom in it. Mmmm.
Anyhow, that's how I take my regular tea. Not fussy at all then. The most distressing task is, that getting it right, or nearly right, is so difficult in a typical British office. For a start, there is no tea-boy (did they learn nothing from their 400 year rule over India?). So in that typical DIY routine you reach for a cup in the cupboard. Often this will be on the highest shelf, bringing back fears of that previous incident several moons ago which you can read about all here (yikes). Once the cup has been acquired safely, your co-workers look strangely at you when you put a dash of milk in it and place it in the microwave. You then take it out, pour the hot water and finally dip the tea bag (and maybe a dash of sugar on some days). It still doesn't taste quite right. After nearly six years of trying various similar combinations I have sadly given up on office tea-making almost completely, unless I feel I am going to start snoring at my desk in which case even cold milk will do! When the occasional pang strikes I now head straight to that American icon of global consumerism (the one with the Star and the Bucks), grab my sickly sweet chai tea latte and feel sated for a while.
All that angst is surprising from someone who drank almost no tea while growing up in India.
However, times are a-changing and there is new hope. Quite unexpectedly, I am now part of the fast-growing cult of green tea and herbal tea drinkers around the globe. Yes we are cool and we know it.
***************************
Over a decade of meetings in London, some held in glossy glass buildings, some in transport depots and others in no nonsense office blocks, one thing has been consistent. There is almost always a British person (more than one sometimes) who will pour a cup of tea, with or without sugar and milk, take a few sips and then place it on the saucer. Twenty minutes into the meeting, by which time the air-conditioning has frozen that cup of tea into a drink cold enough to be worthy of a native of the Sahara desert, the gentleman (and it is too often the men) will loftily raise the cup again and continue to enjoy the remainder of the cup's contents.
To this day I cannot quite fathom why people here do that. Apart from the obvious health disbenefits of cold tea, it just tastes awful when its not hot or warm. To me anyway.
Lest you think I belong to the cult of boiling-hot tea lovers let me clarify that I like my tea to arrive hot (and with plenty of milk) following which I need it to go down to the 'Goldilocks' temperature which is not too hot and certainly not cold. I have worked out that the whole process from kettle to cup, to cooling and finally the 'start sipping' point takes about 3.5 minutes in ambient conditions (read 21'C AC). Then for approximately 7.5 minutes after that, a small cup of tea stays at this 'Ira's Optimal Tea Temperature' range. Perhaps I should get a patent on this range. I'm certain its use will bring joy to many lives.
Now this 7.5 minute range does put some pressure on me to consume this beverage quite quickly. The size of the cup is key to this. And the milk must be warm. On a slow afternoon, a small quick shot of this chai will do the job. Somewhat like the old Mumbai-office style chai that was delivered to us in baby cups. Often with a the flavour of cardamom in it. Mmmm.
Anyhow, that's how I take my regular tea. Not fussy at all then. The most distressing task is, that getting it right, or nearly right, is so difficult in a typical British office. For a start, there is no tea-boy (did they learn nothing from their 400 year rule over India?). So in that typical DIY routine you reach for a cup in the cupboard. Often this will be on the highest shelf, bringing back fears of that previous incident several moons ago which you can read about all here (yikes). Once the cup has been acquired safely, your co-workers look strangely at you when you put a dash of milk in it and place it in the microwave. You then take it out, pour the hot water and finally dip the tea bag (and maybe a dash of sugar on some days). It still doesn't taste quite right. After nearly six years of trying various similar combinations I have sadly given up on office tea-making almost completely, unless I feel I am going to start snoring at my desk in which case even cold milk will do! When the occasional pang strikes I now head straight to that American icon of global consumerism (the one with the Star and the Bucks), grab my sickly sweet chai tea latte and feel sated for a while.
All that angst is surprising from someone who drank almost no tea while growing up in India.
However, times are a-changing and there is new hope. Quite unexpectedly, I am now part of the fast-growing cult of green tea and herbal tea drinkers around the globe. Yes we are cool and we know it.
***************************
Comments
Post a Comment