People of the past were truly picky about their tea making. Some people even required, as the article below states, that the water used for their tea came from beneficial springs or wells.
Tea and Tea Making
A cup of tea is a simple thing to prepare, but often it is so poorly prepared that it is worse than a dose of medicine. Tea should never be boiled, as the tannin is then dissolved in the beverage and this astringent agent is anything but wholesome for the lining of the stomach.
The secret of good tea making lies in having fresh boiled water, a sweet, clean, hot pot and good tea, all mingled together for the required three to five minutes. The result is a refreshing cup of tea. In England, where tea drinking is an art, many tea drinkers refuse to take a cup unless they know that the water has been brought from certain springs which adds to the tonic quality of the tea.
We usually regard Russian tea as simply a cup of tea with a slice of lemon added, while as a matter of fact their national drink is served with a teaspoonful of jam dropped right into the steaming hot tea. In Morocco the leaves of verbena and wild thyme are added to give piquancy. The Persian likes his tea very sweet with the juice of the lime prepared in a peculiar manner. The Burmese add garlic to their tea which makes us glad we are not Burmese. In no country is cream so much used in tea as in America but a cup of tea with milk is on par with coffee served with milk – both need cream to be just right.
A blend of tea that connoisseurs indorse unstintedly is made by thoroughly mixing one-half ounce of orange pekoe, one and one-half ounces of young hyson, six ounces of soughing and eight ounces of oolong. The correct measurement of this, properly brewed, will, as the Chinese say, “drive away the five causes of sorrow.” Three of the essential components of tea, essential oil, tannin and theine, are what gives character to the infused beverage. The flavor of tea depends upon the essential oil, theine, which is the alkaloid identical with the caffeine in coffee, and the tired or nervous person with a headache finds relief in a cup of tea because of this ingredient. The strength of the tea is attributed to the tannin and this is always increased by long standing.
Source: Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.), 17 Dec. 1916.
