There was a time Andy when milk was one of my favourite drinks. Gallons of the stuff. In summer as a quencher. I allus said at the time. If pubs had sold it, I'd have supped it. Do like porridge wi it mind.
Chai, basically strong tea with no milk and loads of sugar, drank copious amounts with the locals in Iraq years ago, quite liked it tbh, they had it as a desert after eating, The ex Ghurkas I work with me introduced me what they call baby tea, Hot milk in a pan, a few tea bags thrown in and a generous amount of Turmeric, very nice
The only acceptable circumstance for milk going in first is if the tea is being brewed in a pot and poured in. If it’s being made in the mug, water and bag only til it’s brewed. Those saying otherwise - heathens...! Just plain wrong on all levels. And @Stephen Dawson - how much effect on the net result temperature do you think adding cold milk to hot tea would have as opposed to adding hot water to cold milk? You also risk curdling the milk adding properly boiling water to it as opposed to putting a drop into a brewed tea that will have lost a few degrees temp by the time you add it. I’ve yet to see anyone make a tea adding the milk first : 1) manage to not put too much milk in (I wanted a tea, not a milkshake. Or a cup of dishwater.) 2) brew the tea enough as the temp is too low because of the milk (if the result is barely any darker than the milk you added you’ve just wasted a tea bag). I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that those putting the milk in first also think typhoo, pg tips and tetleys are acceptable brands…
from 17 - 20 I was on two bottles a day at work (morning and afternoon breaks). I was 6'2" and 10 stone when I was 17. Came out three years later a tad heavier. Obviously discovered ale but I reckon milk contributed a lot too. And BEST every morning (Bacon, Egg, Sausage, Tomato). Been a greedy bugger ever since
And you are absolutely correct. If milk must be added (I drink tea and coffee without) then it's added after mashing and removal of teabag. Tis the law!
Talking of milk, this shopfront always makes me smile: "Women who like milk are interested in you. Women who like wine are interested in wine."
My personal preference is no milk. Earl Grey brewed so you can still see the bottom of the cup. However, from reading the other posts, I have been reminded of the tea I used to get when I visited my Grandad in Hoyland. He used to buy the non branded teabags - 1000 in a clear plastic bag for 50p (a slight exaggeration) - from the market in town. When brewing he would take about 10 of the teabags, not bothering to separate them and place them in a stainless steel teapot with boiling hot water and leave for what seemed like an eternity. He would then get a fork and mash the teabags until they had surrendered the last sinew of flavour. What was left was a black treacle looking liquid and blacker than anything Anish Kapoor uses. He would pour a little of this concoction into a cup, probably only an inch full and then fill the rest of the cup with milk. Those who didn't take milk just got a cup full of black.
Don't make it in cup anymore. It needs 4 or 5 minutes to brew so use teapot 1 bag makes cups. Cosy , keeps hot. Teabag in cup for4 minutes you end up with something like gravy. Yorkshire tea.
Add milk after its mashed to your liking, dont make it too strong or the wife will whinge, an not too milky another whinge, then put it in microwave for 20 secs to warm it back up, oh yes an its gorra be Tetley, or Yorkshire.
