Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: DoctorBeaver on 05/04/2007 08:22:02
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Leave the teabag in longer & the tea gets stronger. But there comes a point where leaving it in longer makes no difference. Would I be right in assuming this has something to do with saturation (or maybe super-saturation)? What is the chemistry involved?
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I'm not sure whether it would be saturation (the water won't hold any more solutes) or just that all the water soluble components have been dissolved out of the leaves. I'd tend toward the latter since if it were a saturation issue I'd expect as the tea cooled down further some of the dissolved material will be precipitated out as a solid.
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It's quite simple to establish: you put 2 teabags instead of one and you see if it dissolves a double amount or not...
(It does).
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OK, thank you folks.
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Well I'm not satisfied.
I think it's reasonable to suppose that the tea leaching out of the leaves enters into equilibrium with the tea soaking back into the leaves.
Drink the tea put in more hot water and voila more tea.
With the premium green tea this seems to go on all day. And when I come in the next day it seems I could continue again. I don't simply because I want a fresh start every day and each new pot takes longer.
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This is getting migh-tea interesting
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according to the bbc, this is how to make the perfect cup of tea.
1. Use tea from India or Ceylon (Sri Lanka), not China
2. Use a teapot, preferably ceramic
3. Warm the pot over direct heat
4. Tea should be strong - six spoons of leaves per 1 litre
5. Let the leaves move around the pot - no bags or strainers
6. Take the pot to the boiling kettle
7. Stir or shake the pot
8. Drink out of a tall, mug-shaped tea cup
9. Don't add creamy milk
10. Add milk to the tea, not vice versa
11. No sugar!
although, i have heard that you should not actually take the water to boiling point.
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I will try it.. how do you separate your tea leaves.. do you strain it afterwards?
Will You elaborate on two and three, as I did not know you could directly heat a ceramic over the stove?
Then about 5, 6, and 7
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I will try it.. how do you separate your tea leaves.. do you strain it afterwards?
give the teapot a sharp whack on the side with a spoon. the leaves will turn over and fall to the bottom, no need for a strainer.
Will You elaborate on two and three, as I did not know you could directly heat a ceramic over the stove?
Then about 5, 6, and 7
?
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At no point does that recipe call for adding water to the tea. This seems to me to be likely to fail.
When I was at school (6th form) we were not allowed to take drinks into the computer room, but we were all caffeine addicts. I solved the problem by mixing instant coffee, sugar and dried milk thereby creating something that was coffee but not a drink.
Other than this rather odd scenario, can anyone think of a reason why the BBC have a tea preparation method that does not, in fact, make tea?
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according to the bbc, this is how to make the perfect cup of tea.
6. Take the pot to the boiling kettle
7. Stir or shake the pot
although, i have heard that you should not actually take the water to boiling point.
on point 6 : I suppose that taking the pot to the kettle will keep the water just a little hotter than if you take the boiling kettle from the stove or heater, and bring it to the table. To the BBC, the fact that you should pour water in the pot doesn't need mentioning.
on point 7 : not stirring or shaking would create saturation around the leaves, and not further (as you see happening when you make tea from a bag and in a glass) : colouration around the bag is instantaneous, but this coloration spreads rather slowly if there is no forced movement by stirring or shaking (whirling the cup around).
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So I make my tea in a regular tea pot..bells whisles etc.. then I bring my ceramic pot to the stove and pour the tea in there and move it to the table? Is that what you mean?
CONFUSED...I am not Blonde! LOL
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So I make my tea in a regular tea pot..bells whisles etc.. then I bring my ceramic pot to the stove and pour the tea in there and move it to the table? Is that what you mean?
CONFUSED...I am not Blonde! LOL
No, but you ARE American and therefore genetically incapable of making tea [:D]
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Just as the British ARE genetically incapable of cooking anything marginally edible. Bangers and beans, fish and chips, boiled meat, Oh My God!
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Just as the British ARE genetically incapable of cooking anything marginally edible. Bangers and beans, fish and chips, boiled meat, Oh My God!
JImBob. you can knock the British for their poor cooking skills, but not bangers and mash.
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Thank you, Paul, And I must admit to liking Polish garlic sausage and white beans cooked with molasses and a little ground mustard seed.
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Thank you, Paul, And I must admit to liking Polish garlic sausage and white beans cooked with molasses and a little ground mustard seed.
also JimBob, i don't think there are too many British meals cooked now. I would be willing to bet that most children do not have a "traditional" sunday lunch or a good home cooked meal after school or work.
we are too dependant on take-aways and preprepared meals from the supermarket.
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So I make my tea in a regular tea pot..bells whisles etc.. then I bring my ceramic pot to the stove and pour the tea in there and move it to the table? Is that what you mean?
CONFUSED...I am not Blonde! LOL
No, but you ARE American and therefore genetically incapable of making tea [:D]
I like tea actually but when one says ceramic pot to me my mid goes straight to my pretty ceramick floral china pot that I fill ith hot water from the stove and add tea bags to.. LOL LOL...I like spicy teas..
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Then, Karen, You do not know the joy of wakening up in the morning to a good stiff pot of Twinnings Irish Breakfast Tea or the delight of another stiff pot of Earl Grey in the afternoon, both made in a hot Brown Betty. I admit the hint of bergamont orange in Earl Grey is a "spice" of sorts but Earl Grey is oh so English.
As you know from my profile I am from Texas but I had a good friend in graduate school that taught me the joy of British tea. Made a mean curry, too, 'ot enuf to burn yore gob off, Gov!
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LOL...I cannot eat hot stuff.. mildly warm but not hot! I need to try some and check them out!! LOLI have never had a curry of any kind that I am aware of!
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according to the bbc, this is how to make the perfect cup of tea.
1. Use tea from India or Ceylon (Sri Lanka), not China
2. Use a teapot, preferably ceramic
3. Warm the pot over direct heat
4. Tea should be strong - six spoons of leaves per 1 litre
5. Let the leaves move around the pot - no bags or strainers
6. Take the pot to the boiling kettle
7. Stir or shake the pot
8. Drink out of a tall, mug-shaped tea cup
9. Don't add creamy milk
10. Add milk to the tea, not vice versa
11. No sugar!
although, i have heard that you should not actually take the water to boiling point.
This sounds like the Delia Smith version....if not..it's probably close !
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Just as the British ARE genetically incapable of cooking anything marginally edible. Bangers and beans, fish and chips, boiled meat, Oh My God!
This is a fallacy...the Brits are responsible for fine cuisine through out the entire world:
we invented Pasta and all Pasta orientated dishes, Curries are our dishes, as are all the cuisines available in far east and asian countries, we invented Burgers and Hot dogs, Cordon bleu and eveything in all the European countries . We invented Wine and Champagne (even though some french bloke named a place Champagne in Frenchy land)...hell...we even invented water !!
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I think you left a lot of thinngs out!!!! LOL
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Just as the British ARE genetically incapable of cooking anything marginally edible. Bangers and beans, fish and chips, boiled meat, Oh My God!
This is a fallacy...the Brits are responsible for fine cuisine through out the entire world:
we invented Pasta and all Pasta orientated dishes, Curries are our dishes, as are all the cuisines available in far east and asian countries, we invented Burgers and Hot dogs, Cordon bleu and eveything in all the European countries . We invented Wine and Champagne (even though some french bloke named a place Champagne in Frenchy land)...hell...we even invented water !!
Neil, me lad, I really think you need to see your local mental health provider for a check up. (They did let you out, didn't they? or did you just "leave"?) The self-grandiosity you suffer from is bleeding over into you sense of national identity. Don't you remember that you eat junk food? You have posted questions about string cheese and what to do with left over pickle juice. Sadly, I must inform you that this is not the cuisine of a gourmand.
Admitting to the problem is the first step to recovery.
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After having a bit of curry in England, it was a bit too mild even though they stated it was hot. As for tea, Earl Grey is good but I also like this mixture this Russian lady mixed up for me it was very delicious! (it had a bit of spice Karen);-)
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I can handle some, not alot.. I don't want fire breathing..LOL But I do like spicy.
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I like Jasmine Tea. Or Green Tea. [;D]
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I have never tried Jasmine tea.. would one make it using the prescribed method below???
according to the bbc, this is how to make the perfect cup of tea.
1. Use tea from India or Ceylon (Sri Lanka), not China
2. Use a teapot, preferably ceramic
3. Warm the pot over direct heat
4. Tea should be strong - six spoons of leaves per 1 litre
5. Let the leaves move around the pot - no bags or strainers
6. Take the pot to the boiling kettle
7. Stir or shake the pot
8. Drink out of a tall, mug-shaped tea cup
9. Don't add creamy milk
10. Add milk to the tea, not vice versa
11. No sugar!
although, i have heard that you should not actually take the water to boiling point.
This sounds like the Delia Smith version....if not..it's probably close !
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Ermm probably. Not sure though. Only have it when we go to a chinese restaurant. And I've never asked how them make em! [:P]
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Well Here I thought you were making it according to those directions!!
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Oh, LOL [;D] Nah.. Just buy it off a chinese restaurant [;D]
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Sounds like the way to go.
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Yipee [;)]
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The Chinese drink tea correctly without milk...this is how me luffs it...........after all they invented the drink yes ?
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I don't know where tea started. I like mine straight no milk although I have never tried milk in it before. Not that I dislike the taste or anything. Roberts mother had started drinking her tea with milk!
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Hmm.. Tea started when they brought the tea leaves from africa and things, back to england. But then, they realised that the leaves were all rotten, but they made tea with it anyway. They realised that it tasted quite nice, so they decided to make it like that. [;)]
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Just as the British ARE genetically incapable of cooking anything marginally edible. Bangers and beans, fish and chips, boiled meat, Oh My God!
Have you never eaten beef Wellington? Cumberland sausages?
And there wouldn't be a lot left of French, Italian, Indian or Mexican cuisine without boiled meat.
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The Chinese drink tea correctly without milk
Not forgetting that 98% of South East Asians are lactose intolerant - a genetic difference, from say Northern Europeans where 86% of the population have a gentic make-up making life-long lactose digestion possible.
(At least according to http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001681.html (http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001681.html))
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I'm pretty sure the "correct" way to drink tea is exactly how you like it.
As for
"Hmm.. Tea started when they brought the tea leaves from africa and things, back to england."
What, exactly, were they bringing the leaves here for if not to make tea?
Also I suspect the Chinese were making really nice tea while the population of (the land now called) England were painting itself blue and throwing pointed sticks at one-another.