by The Teashop
- Tea
In the world of tea enthusiasts, few debates are as enduring or passionately discussed as when to add milk to tea: before or after even pouring the tea itself. Such a seemingly trivial decision is one over which tea connoisseurs worldwide are passionate and rightfully so.
Having the best tea powder in Hyderabad, we believe that the timing of adding milk also really affects the flavor, color, and texture of the tea, but more importantly, as far as culture and history go, it is being able to tell a story. The question of happiness, origins, preferences, and science of that hot tea-time question we are about to explore.
A Historical Perspective
The history of the milk-in-tea controversy can be attributed to sixteenth- and seventh-century England at a time when tea was just being discovered. Tea was a rarity that arrived in Europe from China and was considered a beverage suitable only for nobility. When tea was poured directly into porcelain cups, other cups of the time were very brittle and easily broke when hot liquids were added; thus, this preparation of adding milk was first served to shield the cup from the hot tea. Avoiding spilling tea became a more realistic approach, while the cooling of the cup before serving tea before pouring it was gradually codified into a tradition.
When tea became more available, those who could consume superior heat-resistant porcelain started to pour tea first. It was linked to social class, and this even identified one as having added milk to tea in a different way from the other, however significantly different.
The Flavor Science
We know that milk’s chemistry and tea’s temperature can affect the taste and texture of a cup of tea. Pouring milk first increases the temperature gradually and decreases the protein coagulation in milk, hence making it creamier and smoother. On the other hand, when hot tea is poured into milk, then there is a very small change, which alters the structure of milk proteins slightly, giving a different texture.
Cultural Preferences
The British have been early starters in the argument over the merits of milk, but new players such as the Indians and Chinese have other perceptions about tea. In India, milk is used as a part of the tea-making process from the beginning; that is, milk and tea leaves are boiled together to prepare this spicy and creamy beverage, chai. In China, the tea ceremony is an important ritual, and the addition of milk is not frequent, mostly due to the emphasis on the taste of the tea ingredient itself—the leaves.
Modern Take: A Personal Preference
Presently, it has been observed that taking milk before or after food is more of an option, as most people have grown to a particular practice of taking milk one way or the other. There are many people who, beginning with the modern style, occasionally try boiling water and steeping the tea as well to see which they like better with different teas. For instance, adding milk before drinking a strong breakfast tea will give a richer, fuller-bodied taste, and adding milk after steeping a delicate Darjeeling allows the floral flavors in the tea to come through more.
CONCLUSION
Finally, the question of whether milk should be added before or after the preparation of tea is one of those delicious, classic food arguments for which there can, in truth, be no satisfactory answer. There are not one but two ways, unique in history, science, and with everyone’s favorite—the flavor. Whether this is your first bowl of milk added to tea or your first plunge into a brewed tea poured and milk added, it is the ability to savor each drop, the ability to enjoy the process, and the sharing of the history of each cup.
Therefore, next time you prepare tea, think about the kind you would like to take. Follow the tradition that feels good to you, or as an experiment, do the exact opposite and see if it will have an effect.
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