Tea recipes
All tea is made from the processed leaves and buds of the evergreen 鈥楥amellia sinensis鈥� bush. There are a huge variety of teas, however, generally classified by the size of the leaves and the way in which they鈥檙e treated. The flavour will vary according to the conditions in which the tea is grown, the soil and climate, the way the leaves are harvested and the manner in which they鈥檙e processed after picking.
The tea most widely drunk in the UK is 鈥榖lack鈥� tea. Its characteristic colour and powerful flavour come from the fermentation or oxidation process by which it鈥檚 produced. The majority of black tea goes into blends such as English breakfast tea; commercial blends can contain up to 30 different teas. A few varieties are famous in their own right, such as assam and darjeeling. Flavoured teas - black tea flavoured with ingredients such as jasmine, chrysanthemum, dried fruit or fruit oils 鈥� are also available.
Tea is grown in India, Sri Lanka, East Africa and China. The teas produced by each country have unique properties: Kenya, for example, produces excellent, bold-flavoured black tea that is much used in blends, while well-flavoured, bright and strongly coloured Malawi tea is popular for blending.
Tea can be used in cooking to soak dried fruit, make syrups for poaching fruit or to smoke fish and poultry.
A warming cup of chai is just what a rainy day needs. Simmered with whole spices, ginger and made mainly with milk, this brew is strong, milky and with just the right amount of sweetness.
More tea recipes
Buyer's guide
When buying loose-leaf tea, it should smell fresh and vibrant. Check the packet labels to check whether you鈥檙e buying a blend or single variety. If buying flavoured tea, check whether the flavouring is natural or a 鈥榥ature-identical鈥� synthetic. For example, Earl Grey tea flavoured with bergamot oil is far superior to Earl Grey tea with bergamot flavouring.
Black teas are graded by their leaf size, from whole leaf, to 鈥榖roken鈥� and 鈥榝annings鈥�, down to 鈥榙ust鈥�. The leaf grade will determine the tea鈥檚 brewing time: the smallest leaves are used in teabags because they brew very quickly. All grades can produce fine tea, albeit in different styles ranging from light and delicate to full-bodied.
Black tea varieties include:
Broken Pekoe and Broken Orange Pekoe - broken-leaf Indian and Sri Lankan teas that make dark, strong brews.
Flowery Orange Pekoes - large-leaf Indian and Sri Lankan tea containing a proportion of slightly golden tips. If there are a high proportion of tips, the leaves may be called golden flowery orange pekoe.
Orange Pekoe - these Indian and Sri Lankan teas take longer to brew than broken or small-leaf ones. The leaves are long, thin and tightly rolled.
Souchong - a general term for large-leaf black teas from China.
Assam 鈥� a black tea from India, valued for its rich golden colour and strong, malty flavour that stands up well to the addition of milk.
Darjeeling 鈥� a fragrant, light Indian tea that鈥檚 one of the finest black teas in the world, and is sometimes described as 鈥楾he Champagne of Teas鈥�. First flush (early-season) pickings are the most delicate and prized. Second flush pickings have a denser, fuller flavour. At the very top end, the tea is sold by the name of specific estates. Drink it with lemon so as not to mask the fine taste.
Nilgiri - a fine black tea from a region in southern India of the same name. It has a good colour and well-rounded flavour and can be served with or without milk.
Lapsang Souchong - a large-leaf black Chinese tea that has been smoke-dried to produce a tarry taste. It is best drunk without milk, sugar or lemon.
Earl Grey 鈥� a black Chinese tea flavoured and scented with oil of bergamot. It鈥檚 best drunk alone or with a slice of lemon.
Keemun 鈥� a black China tea with a nutty, fragrant flavour that can be served either with or without milk.
Storage
Tea has a long shelf-life, but both leaf tea and teabags should be stored in an airtight container or canister in a cool, dark place in order to preserve the original flavour for as long as possible.