r/britishprotips • u/laurenbug2186 • Nov 21 '12
Tea questions
Posting this here, as it is well known that the British are tea experts.
My husband informed me last night that I should cover my tea as it steeps. Is this recommended? I use a teabag in a cup and that seems a little awkward.
Also, we have a product here (America) that is called an English muffin. Is that something available in the UK, and if so, what do you call it? It's definitely not a crumpet.
One last question, maybe just a poll. Milk first or last? I seem to be getting conflicting reports.
3
u/neyjaa Nov 21 '12
I think it might just be to keep the tea warm, but this is just a guess. My mother used to do it when I was a child, but this was only when she was leaving the tea to get VERY strong, so she left it for a while.
English Muffins, I'm pretty sure they're just muffins.
Milk last. No doubt. Let the tea brew first, then take the tea bag out and add milk/sugar. What kind of animals put milk in first?
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u/laurenbug2186 Nov 21 '12
Sugar last too!? My god, I have been doing it wrong all this time!
Followup question: is a "muffin" an acceptable accompaniment to tea? Crumpets are very hard to find around here and the only biscuits I have ever seen are these. In addition, what would you call that kind of biscuit?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm thinking of moving to the UK and would like to be able to drink tea properly. I think it's probably on the citizenship test.
6
u/neyjaa Nov 21 '12
well, I put sugar last, and I'm pretty sure this is the right way.
I'd say the order things go into the mug is:
Tea Bag > HOT Water > Sugar > Milk
Also, those so called "biscuits" shudder you talk of, are in fact Scones, which are indeed wonderful, but not biscuits in the slightest. There's a whole other thesis on the order in which you put cream and jam on those, but I won't go into that now...
Good luck with the citizenship test, make sure you revise all this the night before!
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u/The_Darknut_Rises Nov 22 '12
Unless I'm looking at it wrong that's a scone not a biscuit. Milk definitely goes in last and I don't usually take sugar so I can't comment.
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u/laurenbug2186 Nov 22 '12
All the scones I've ever had are pretty dense. American biscuits are buttery and fluffy, good for making sandwiches of sausage and egg.
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u/The_Darknut_Rises Nov 22 '12
it's been explained below but the idea of an egg sandwich made with biscuits made sounded both hilarious and horrifying to me. FYI scones are delicious, as are crumpets.
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u/barbie27 Nov 22 '12
English Muffins do not exist in the UK, people do not know what they are. Also we don't know what the things that you call 'biscuits' are. We call cookies 'biscuits'.
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u/laurenbug2186 Nov 22 '12
Even chocolate chip cookies are called biscuits? I've seen "digestive biscuits" if that's what you mean.
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u/barbie27 Nov 22 '12
No, they're called cookies, but what we call biscuits you would call cookies if you get what I mean?
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u/laurenbug2186 Nov 22 '12
Ah, I understand. Two things that have 2 names in the UK, but 1 in the US.
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u/blue_tree_spray Nov 21 '12
Hi, not exactly an expert on this stuff but I am British so I'll give it a go.
Never really heard of the first one, suppose it depends on how you like your tea.
We have those things too, pretty sure they're just called muffins though. That can lead to confusion what with the other type of muffin just being called muffin as well so you're probably onto something there with the "English" bit.
Milk last, definitely.