How to make: A Cup of Tea

1. How to make: A Cup of Tea An e-Learning sample created by Mark L. Potts marklpotts@googlemail.com Please click on the arrows to navigate through the screens.

2. How to make: A Cup of Tea - Welcome Welcome to this short e-Learning module, 'How to make: A Cup of Tea'. This short training course has been designed to be as intuitive as possible and we hope that you will find it very useful and enjoyable.

3. How to make: A Cup of Tea - Objectives Once you have completed this course you will: • Understand a little of the history of tea-drinking • Be able to make a perfect cup of tea, safely. To begin, click on the right arrow.

4. How to make: A Cup of Tea – Do you know? • Do you know where most of the tea we drink comes from? • A) Yorkshire • B) Boston • C) Asia • D) Supermarket • Click on the answer you think is correct.

5. How to make: A Cup of Tea – Do you know? Correct! Well done. Most of the tea that we drink comes from plants grown in northeast India, north Burma, southwest China, and Tibet.

6. How to make: A Cup of Tea – Do you know? That‘s not the right answer, I‘m afraid. Most of the tea that we drink comes from plants grown in northeast India, north Burma, southwest China, and Tibet.

7. How to make: A Cup of Tea Before we go into the specifics of the tea-making process, if you would like to know a little about how tea came to be the drink of choice for so many people, click here. Alternatively, to learn how to make that perfect cuppa right now, click here.

8. How to make: A Cup of Tea – History 1 Tea plants are native to East and South Asia, particularly northeast India, north Burma, southwest China, and Tibet. No one is really sure of how, or why, tea became a beverage. It is first recorded in China and it was already a common drink by about 200 BC. Tea became popular during the Tang Dynasty and spread to Korea and Japan. Trade of tea by the Chinese to Western nations in the 19th century spread tea and the tea plant to numerous locations around the world.

9. How to make: A Cup of Tea – History 2 Tea became popular with the British during the days of the Empire. British interests controlled tea production in the subcontinent and it was much sought after 'back home‘, because tea was both exotic and expensive. It even began to eclipse coffee as the drink of choice amongst the well-to-do, because it was too exclusive for the average person.

10. How to make: A Cup of Tea - Hints Tea is, traditionally, served black. It can, however, be served with milk, but never cream and, sometimes, with sugar. Strong tea served with lots of milk and two teaspoons of sugar, usually in a mug, is commonly referred to as builder's tea. Most of the tea consumed today is a blend of various strains, available in teabag form - a small porous paper sack - for ease.

11. How to make: A Cup of Tea – Leaf or Bag? Click on the teapot to see how to make a cup of tea using leaf tea. Click on the teabag to see how to make a cup of tea using a teabag.

12. How to make: A Cup of Tea – The Ritual 1 The traditional method of making tea is to use a leaf tea of your choice, brewing the infusion in a teapot. • The kettle is boiled and water poured into a tea pot. • Water is swirled around the pot to warm it and then poured out. • Teaspoons full of loose tea or tea-bags are then added to the pot. The traditional quantity is one per person and one for the pot.

13. How to make: A Cup of Tea – The Ritual 2 • Freshly drawn and boiled water is added to the pot and allowed to brew. A tea cosy is placed on the pot to keep the tea warm. • Milk may be added to the cup either before or after the tea is poured. • A tea strainer is placed over the top of the cup to catch tea leaves and the tea poured. The tea is then given to guests and they can sugar to their taste. The pot will normally hold enough tea so as not to be empty after filling the cups of all the guests. The tea cosy is always replaced after everyone has been served.

14. How to make: A Cup of Tea – The Ritual 3 • Whether to add milk before, or after, the tea is a matter of debate. In the early days of tea-drinking, milk would be added to the cup first, to avoid cracking the delicate porcelain. • Adding milk into the hot tea may scald the milk, something avoided by pouring the milk first. • Drinking tea from the saucer (poured from the cup in order to cool it) was not uncommon over fifty years ago, but is now, almost universally, considered a breach of etiquette.

15. How to make: A Cup of Tea – A Quick Cup 1 Quite simply, the invention of the teabag gave us an easy way to make a cup of tea. That is, basically, why tea is so popular today, especially in the UK. Modern teabags are engineered to brew quickly in a mug, the tea inside the bag specially blended to give the best flavour with this process. So, to learn how to make a perfect cup of tea, safely, all you have to do is follow a few simple steps…

16. How to make: A Cup of Tea – A Quick Cup 2 Firstly, make sure that you have everything you need to hand. You will need: • A teabag • A mug • A teaspoon • A kettle, and • Fresh water. You may also need: • Milk, sugar, biscuits.

17. How to make: A Cup of Tea – A Quick Cup 3 • Using freshly drawn water, boil the kettle. • Take a teabag and place it in a mug. • As soon as the kettle boils, pour the water onto the teabag. • Gently, use the teaspoon to move the teabag around in the mug. • Remove the teabag and dispose of it. How long you leave the teabag in the mug is a matter of personal preference, as is when you add milk and sugar. My preference is for black tea, only you can decide on how you like your tea.

18. How to make: A Cup of Tea – A Quick Cup 4 All you have to do now is sit down and enjoy your drink and, maybe, a Custard Cream. Remember, always wipe up any spills straight away, and clean up after yourself, especially if you are at work!

19. How to make: A Cup of Tea – Check List • Always use freshly drawn water, before boiling the kettle. • Place a teabag in a mug. • Pour the freshly-boiled water onto the teabag. • Stir the teabag around with a spoon for a fuller flavour. • Remove the teabag and dispose of it safely and carefully. • Always clean up any spills. • Tidy up when you‘re finished.

20. How to make: A Cup of Tea – True or False? Most of the tea we drink comes from South-East Asia. Do you think this statement is True, or False? • True • False • Click on the answer you think is correct.

21. How to make: A Cup of Tea – True or False? Correct! Yes, most of the tea that we drink comes from plants grown in northeast India, north Burma, southwest China, and Tibet.

22. How to make: A Cup of Tea – True or False? That‘s not correct. Most of the tea that we drink comes from plants grown in northeast India, north Burma, southwest China, and Tibet. If you would like to review this course, please click on the left arrow.

23. How to make: A Cup of Tea - Summary Congratulations! You have completed this course. Now, you know: • How to make the perfect cup of tea. You also learned: • How tea became such a popular beverage and • Which part of the world it comes from. We hope that you enjoyed this short course. You might like to try the companion course: ‘How to make: A Cup of Coffee‘. Press the ESC key to leave this course.

24. How to make: A Cup of Tea - Summary You have completed this course. You may retake the course at any time. Now, you know: • How to make the perfect cup of tea. You also learned: • How tea became such a popular beverage and • Which part of the world it comes from. We hope that you enjoyed this short e-Learning module. You may also like to try the companion course: ‘How to make: A Cup of Coffee‘. Press the ESC key to leave this course.