Friday 9 August 2013

A Good Old English Cuppa Tea

I am English. Very very English. Some would say old fashioned. I would just say my mum brought me up well. And I like English tea, anywhere in the world. If I am scared I can't buy them in other continents, my PG Tips go with me most places. For me PG Tips are the best. I like my tea strong and to look like a cuppa proppa tea.

I share both my grandmothers genes in tea drinking as, like my maternal grandmother, I like my teas strong and, like my paternal, I often only drink the top half of the cuppa. It tastes the best. The cuppa has to be hot, piping hot and the first sip or mouthful is like paradise.

As I mature (yes mature) I realise I have been fortunate to travel a lot and I have been too some extremely challenging parts of the world and had to make a life for myself. You see, also, I am a very English teacher and have been able to help in four continents, as far as I can remember.

And as you have now probably began to consider, a good cuppa English tea has been like my comforter; like home.

In Arabia there was no PG Tips just sweet mild weak mint tea served in tiny weeny elaborately engraved glass miniature mugs. Beautifully presented but just not a comparison to the good old English cuppa. I did become accustomed to it in the end and quite liked it but, oh to arrive in the good old blighty and have a English cuppa made for you, in the elegant rose patterned Royal Doulton fine bone china mug of home.

In the US of A, what they call tea is available easily but I required three T-bags to begin to remotely acquire a good tasting mug of tea. The bags, individually wrapped, need to stew for many minutes to begin to search for any colour to the milky water. And the US of A water is not boiling hot, what is that all about??

In Africa it was worst still, no tea available much of the time. And when it was available, served with the same US of A weak T-bag and with NO milk. BUT the water was hot, so could not complain.

Europe, one would think would be close to home. One would imagine you could get a reasonable cuppa in Europe. But, no! Weak, no milk and then when you ask for milk, you get frothy boiling hot milk.

So.....my PG Tips go with me, whether it be vacation or business. A small sandwich bag crammed full of the said bags tucked into my hand baggage and another in my suitcase. I ask for boiling water and "cold" milk and then launch my lovely bag into the chunky over sized mug and close my eyes and dream of afternoon tea, with cake, in my mothers or grandmothers living room, and, yes.....I can get away with thinking all is well with life and with my good old English cuppa.



No comments:

Post a Comment