It’s the British way to offer everyone a cuppa no matter the occasion, but how the tea is actually made is a matter of hot debate.
For some, the milk must be put in the mug first, while others argue the tea most definitely comes first. Much like the argument around the correct order to put jam and cream on scones, making a cup of tea can simply come down to a matter of preference. But according to top tea connoisseurs Yorkshire Tea, there is a correct order to do things to make the perfect brew.
Yorkshire Tea says the order of adding the milk and tea comes down to a matter of heat and is dictated by whether you’re simply making one cup, or a whole teapot.
If you’re just making a single cup of tea then the tea bag should be added to your mug first, followed by hot water. This should then be stirred briefly and left to brew for about four to five minutes, before the tea bag is removed and the milk is added.
The reason the tea bag and hot water needs to be added first is due to heat: black tea needs hot water for proper brewing, so boiling water helps to extract the most flavour and aroma from the tea leaves. If you add milk into the cup first, this cools down the temperature of the water and so it can mean you don’t get as much flavour.
If you’re making a teapot then Yorkshire Tea recommends adding two tea bags to a regular sized pot, or just one if you’re using a mini one, followed by hot water. For loose leaf tea, simply add one teaspoon per person and one for the pot.
For the strongest flavour, it’s worth warming your teapot by swirling a bit of hot water in it before you add your tea as the warmth helps to draw out the flavour from the tea leaves, resulting in a much richer tasting brew.
Once your teapot is made, give it four to five minutes to brew and then pour it. Unlike brewing in a cup, Yorkshire Tea says the order you add the milk doesn’t matter at all in this case – it comes down to your preference. So it’s perfectly acceptable to put a splash of milk straight into a cup and then top it up with tea, and it won’t affect the result.
Yorkshire Tea says: “So when should you add the milk? It’s an issue that divides tea drinkers into two camps: those who pour the milk into their mug first (Miffys) and those who pour their tea in before the milk (Tiffys).
“Like the Montagues and the Capulets, these warring factions may never see eye to eye – but the truth is that this great debate can be solved in less time than it takes to dunk a digestive.
“It’s all a question of heat. Tea brews best in very hot water, but adding milk cools things down. So if you’re brewing tea directly in a mug, it’s better to add the milk last, after it’s brewed. And if you’re brewing in a teapot, the order doesn’t matter at all – it’s just a question of personal preference!”
