Vienna or Turkish tea? Different ways of making tea

A short tea story

Did you know that...

- according to one of the legends - the beginning of tea dates back to 2737 B.C.? Apparently it was discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shennong, who once, while drinking hot water in the garden had several bush leaves fallen into his glass. As it later turned out, the water with the addition of leaves had extremely pleasant taste and aroma. Tea was then treated as a noble drink and the taste of the tea leaves was so much to the liking of the Chinese that even dishes such as tea soup were prepared from them. At the beginning of our era, tea came to Japan, where it was considered as holy and drinking it has become a real ritual.

Tea has arrived in Europe only around the 16th century. First to Russia, then to the Netherlands, and around 1660 to England, where it quickly gained popularity. Although initially among the elite, with time it became more and more popular.

Currently, tea is very popular all over the world. We also love to enjoy the taste of tea served in aesthetic dishes. Tea cups stand out when they are cracked and have an extended upwards shape, which bring out the full flavour and aroma from the tea drink. The most popular ones are porcelain cups, i.e. made of thin, delicate and fast heating material which perfectly emphasise the taste of the essential infusion. However, before we pour tea into cups, we have to brew it. Tea brewers as well as jugs and thermoses are the perfect dishes for brewing tea. Tea prepared in a jug with a heater or thermos will allow us to enjoy the warm drink for a long time.

But depending on a country, a custom for drinking tea changes. Therefore, depending on the specific culture and type of tea, this drink is served in a slightly different way. Check how you drink your tea in other countries.

Tea in England, the famous five o'clock

Tea is an aromatic drink associated mainly with the United Kingdom, and that is thanks to Duchess of Bedford - Duchess Anna Maria Russel, which has introduced the ritual of having this popular drink in the afternoon. The Duchess invited her friends for an afternoon tea, exactly at five o'clock. Since then, the way tea is drunk in England has been known all over the world.

Five o'clock

During the five o'clock the English usually drink East Indian teas, characterized by a distinct aroma and high theine content. Tea in England is always served with the addition of milk or cream, which brings out and perfectly highlights an intense flavour of dried leaves. How to prepare this drink? Pour as many teaspoonfuls of dried leaves into the teapot as the amount of cups you want to drink and add one more teaspoonful. Wait 5 minutes and then pour the aromatic drink into the cups. But beware! First pour milk into the cups, then pour tea. This order of addition of individual ingredients is deeply rooted in the tradition and its change is highly inappropriate. In addition, by pouring tea into milk, the drink gains a nicer color, it is easier to mix it, and tea obtains an exceptional taste and aroma.

A small teapot is a perfect tea pot for English tea. And to serve it, you will certainly need esthetic and elegant set of cups.

Japanese tea - ceremonial drinking and brewing green tea

Tea brewing in Japan is a real ritual! A ceremony called the Tea Way (chanoyu) has existed in this country since the 15th century. According to the Japanese tradition, this ritual takes place in the garden pavilion built in a special way. The road leading to the pavilion should be designed to ensure an ambience of beauty, peace and tranquility.

Matcha green tea is a drink that is served during the ceremony. First, the host, the master of the ceremony, rubs tea leaves into powder inside a special mortar, then he puts it into a bowl or spherical kettle preheated to 60 degrees Celsius. Next, he pours in water heated to 50-60 degrees Celsius and whisk the mixture with a bamboo whisk. All those gathered at the ceremony drink matcha tea from one pot. Then each participant is served a slightly weaker version of matcha in a tiny cup of tea. The purpose of the Japanese tea ceremony is a feeling of harmony, peace and quietness, as well as getting away from everyday worries and problems.

Turkish tea - strong and expressive in taste

Contrary to popular beliefs, it is the Turks, not the British, who drink the most tea in the world. They have it at breakfast, after lunch, at work, on the street or during social gatherings. To make Turkish tea you need a special kettle consisting of two parts: the bottom one is for water and the upper one is for the essence. You need to put the tea leaves inside the upper teapot and pour a little water on it. The boiling water in the lower kettle produces steam, thereby heating the leaves. After the water boils, you need to pour boiling water over the leaves, refill the bottom kettle with water and wait for it to boil. This can take even 20 minutes on low heat, but it will give the tea an amazing, amber colour and a unique aroma.

Tea in Turkish style is served in thin glasses, resembling in their shape the flowers of a tulip - one of the symbols of Turkey. Pour a bit of essence into the glass and fill it with water. It is quite a strong drink, so to soften the taste it is usually served with sugar cubes.

Tea in the Vienna style - with milk, jam or rum?

Tea in Vienna is served in two jugs: in the first one there is some boiling water and in the second one - a brewed infusion. The Austrians attach great importance to the way their tea is served. Therefore, the best dishes for serving tea are porcelain cups. Inseparable elements also include cup saucers, appropriately selected based on their shape and design, which are used to place a spoon and a slice of lemon on them. In addition, separate porcelain dishes are served and are full of: milk, cream, juice, jam, and rum. This allows you to compose the most suitable taste of tea yourself.

Tea in the Russian style - a strong and sweet samovar drink

Russian tea has a distinct and strong taste, and is brewed in a samovar which is a special device in which the essence is prepared. Water is poured into the main part of the samovar, and when it starts humming, a kettle with a little boiling water is placed in the upper part. The tea is brewed for about 5 minutes. The finished essence is poured into cups and filled with boiling water. Tea in the Russian style should be strong and aromatic. Traditionally, it is served in glasses with a basket, with the addition of a lemon and some sweeteners - sugar cubes, honey or jam.

You do not have a samovar, and you want to have your tea in a Russian way? Do not worry! Tea brewers come to your aid, so that you can recreate the process of brewing tea in the Russian way.

Kombucha - a tea full of health

Kombucha, also called tea or Japanese mushroom, is a colony of bacteria and a special yeast culture, on the basis of which a pro-healthy drink is prepared. The first mention of the tea mushroom comes from 2000 years ago from the Far East and it was from there that the kombucha came to Europe.

The Kombucha has a jelly-like consistency. When you add it to the sweetened tea, the fermentation process begins which results in a pro-healthy kombucha drink. So in order to prepare it we need sugar and some kind of tea, apart from the kombucha itself, of course. What kind of tea to use? It all depends on our taste preferences. Black, white, red tea, and matcha, jasmine or rooibos tea are perfect. You can also add a few varieties of some of your favourite tea to the kombucha.

Fermented tea, prepared on the basis of a jelly mushroom, is not only tasty, but also rich in a number of vitamins and minerals. The consumption of the kombucha drink primarily contributes to strengthening immunity and maintaining the acid-base balance, which means that its drinking has a positive effect on the functioning of the entire body.

Tea in the English, Russian or maybe Vienna style? Which way of drinking tea did you like the most?