Earl Grey. Hot.

It's no secret I'm a coffee addict, but I also enjoy a properly made cuppa tea, something seldom found in US eateries. When you go out you're usually offered a teabag, a cup, and slightly warm water, and if you're lucky, an additional little extra water in a pot. So I don't order tea unless I'm in a teashop that's been vetted for me by someone who'll assure me the tea is loose and fresh. At home I have my own tea rituals: Each day at lunchtime I heat filtered cold water to 190F, rinse out a ceramic teapot with a splash of the hot water, spoon loose-leaf quality green tea into an infuser large enough for the leaves to dance and expand in their hot bath, steep it for 3-4 minutes (I use a timer), then put a cozy over the pot to keep it warm.


So from my good friend DG I'll share this profound truth: "Tea drinking in the US is like sex: it mostly doesn't happen in public, is usually in a private home, and you have to go to specialty shops to buy appliances to make it better."