, and had stood
eight minutes on the leaves. It was only necessary for me to add water
once to the tea, to ensure this temperature. Bitterness was the certain
result of greater heat or of longer standing, and flatness was the result
of colder water. If the tea did not stand for so long a time as eight
minutes, it was not ripe; it was not full bodied enough. The palate
becomes far less fastidious about the quality of the second cup. Other
people may like tea of a different character from that which I do myself;
but, be that as it may, all people can, I maintain, ensure uniformity of
good tea, such as they best like, by attending to the principle of making
it--that is to say, to time, and quantities, and temperature. There is
no other mystery in the teapot.
Tea made in the kettle.--Where there are no cups or teapot put the leaves
in the pot or kettle, and drink through a reed with a wisp of grass in
it, as they do in Paraguay. If there are cups and no teapot, the leaves
may be put into the pot, previously enclosed in a loose gauze or muslin
bag to prevent their floating about. A contrivance is sold in the shops
for this purpose; it is made of metal gauze, and shaped like an egg. A
purse made of metal rings would be better, for it would pack flat; but
the advantage of muslin over metal apparatus is that you may throw away
bag and all, and avoid the trouble of cleaning.
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