How to use tea balls?

Dear Meena...

You ask what tea! Simple question, difficult to answer.
Once again, with this question of yours, you have transported me back to my previous residence, Germany.
I can write pages about tea culture in Germany. Germans are great believers in Naturopathy. Although, mainly a coffee drinking country, some parts of Germany is famous for tea drinkers. I lived in one such state. They have countless herbal teas, fruit teas, flower scented teas, pina colada tea, champagne flavoured teas, teas, teas and teas:) Actually, my friend owns a Tea shop. The tea shops there are worth a visit.

L, Kamla

Yeah what Kamala says is true....so many varieties...and Kamala , new additions are ayurvedic teas for pitha, etc....Of course i am not a tea drinker, so have no feel or taste for it! But i did try tetley's masala chai and lemon....were too good for our indian taste. Also here they believe that tea should be had without milk and also not sweetened,...it is supposed to be more healthier that way. Also each type of tea has its medicinal values, for cold, for stomach or headaches etc.....amazing variety! There are special tea shops....they look like our boutiques for dresses! I am yet to visit a tea shop!

Dear Meena,
I forgot to mention - Tetley'e lemon & Ginger teas are very good. Try them without fail. I personally prefer fruity flavours & "nutty" flavours less in tea.
Love,
Chithra.

Kamla, the flavors sound great - pinacolada & champagne teas, if I get a chance to visit Germany, I'm going to visit all the tea parlours.......

Sudha, with so many varieties of teas, can't believe you still haven't tasted tea... I myself started with tea just 2 yrs back so don't blame you... the term, "tea boutiques", sounds interesting.. I thought people drank wine, wine and more wine while visiting Europe but now I know another safe drink that too with so many varieties to choose from.

Chitra, once I did taste fruit flavored teas outside a super maket wherein they had set up a special counter that day just to get customers to taste diff teas.. I did taste 3-4 varieties but can't really remember the names. next time in Blore, I shall hunt for those tea sachets.

Vandhana, when are you coming to India??? I've another reason now to wait for you.

Hi girls,
this is a new subject. I had been drinking tea, boiling equal amount of water and milk with tea leaves or dust, ginger piece and sgar. Strain it and it is like decoction coffee. I hear and see about tea leaves being put in hot water in a porcelain tea kettle and all that. Also the concept that tea with out milk and sugar is beneficial.
Now be good girls, tell the correct procedure to make that tea. I bought a white porcelain tea pot and am longing to try something like that. With you all connoissuers around, I am wonderingwhy did not it occur to me earlier!
So, please give the best method to make tea.

Varloo, no worry. Your tea sounds really yummy and enjoy it even in my name:)

There are many tea cultures and we in India have our own. But going by tea etiquette, tea was never meant to be boiled. Actually, there are various studies which show that boiling tea may be destructive to its inherent qualities. That aside, there is a great deal of do's and don'ts about tea brewing. You must have heard about the tea ceremony of the Japanese. That is taking it to the other extreme! Imagine us performing all that three times a day!! I may give up on tea:)
The British think they know the best about tea. But they always do about everything!! One should always start off with warming the tea pot first. For this, pour boiling water into your pot and leave it for a couple of minutes. Now placing tea leaves goes like this...one teaspoon of tea for the pot and one each for the number of cups. Now pour appropriate amount of 'boiling' water over this and let it brew for about three minutes atleast. Now you pour out your dark golden coloured tea into your translucent china cups(!!) and add just enough milk to make it pale and stir fashionably with your silver spoon, dropping one or two cubes of sugar if need be and sip off....a la English. Have a triangle of watercress and cucumber sandwich on the side:)
How long you brew or seep the tea leaves in the pot has also various effects to it, one making you sleep and the other breaking your sleep.
Even in Europe, some people do drink tea with milk. But generally, it is had with lemon juice and that's what is served in sachets along with your tea.
Herbal and health teas are totally different scene altogether. They do not require milk and is taken with candied sugar. They are very much in vogue here.
Sometimes, one takes tea instead of a wine bottle or flowers when visiting friends in Germany. But mind you, you must see to believe how well your tea leaves are packed and made presentable. The tea is very expensive, the more exotic the blend, the pricier it is. It comes adorned with fancy boxes, candied sugar on beautiful little bamboo sticks,etc etc and all is put together with bows and cellophane and one does not have the heart to open the gift parcelling for its sheer beauty!
Well, so much for tea.

L, Kamla

Oh, btw, even the candies sugars are a speciality, because they are aromatised and come in very attractive shapes and forms.
I have given a link below. Check it out. It is not the most beautiful packages, but still gives you an idea of what I am talking about. Check the pics 4-11, they are all concerning tea.

L, Kamla

Geschenke & Tee-Ideen

Kamla, that was beautiful to hear from you.
when you write even the simpler topic turns interesting.
I'm sure after reading yuor post, a lot of them are gonna buy tea balls and start drinking black tea like the english.
hubby makes black tea often and adds few drops of lime to it. I like it when he makes tea. my doing tea gives a indian touch probably.
thank you for sharing the link - all the products look beautiful and if I'd got any of them as gift, I surely would 've placed it in the showcase.

thanks again, for your wonderful reply.

Love,

Dear Sujata,
wow, if I make tea like the English, I would be making only that the whole day- tea or coffee is to be prepared more than 6 times a day. And about china etc. no way!. My people have very delicate fingers and they keep on dropping the steel glass or plate. I dread to think about the fate of delicate china.
I was just wondering about the making of tea, I saw the Taj ad. where it is said that add water to the tea leaves.
South Indians usually prefer their beverages strong. Keralites drink black tea or black coffee mostly. They do not car for milk, curd, buttermilk, butter or ghee much. And they do not eat much sweets also. May be this aspect gives them protection from heart diseases even though they use coconut and coconut oil daily. And the use of pepper and jeera also may help.
Anyway, I have just forgotten my fancy for preparing tea the traditional way, I would rather do it as I always do.

Kamla,

You forgot the scones and clotted cream !! and all those tea cakes !!
But yes the art of making tea the english way. I don't recall but i read somewhere that in those olden days, the English used to actually brew the tea and eat the leaves with sugar, thinking the tea liquid was not fit for them, only later did they realise that the liquid tea was more flavorful and tastier. Don't know how far this is true though.

Hey Varloo, the latest craze here is the Masala Chai. They call it Masal Chai Latte here , and ofcourse it is our good old tea with milk in it.

Vandhana