In Good Taste: A nice cup of tea
Raisin Tea Loaf
I always think it’s funny the way the English ask, “Would you like a nice cup of tea?” Or the way they declare, “Oh I’d love a nice cup of tea!” Never just a cup of tea, but always a nice cup of tea. And so it should be. Tea is second only to water as the most preferred drink worldwide, and is becoming more appreciated and popular all the time. Coffee and all its relatives have dominated the limelight for too long, and we tea drinkers would like a share in the action.
Recently a friend and I ordered a pot of tea for two in a local café and were presented with a battered old pot containing a little water and 4 teabags. Neither of us takes milk and it was already the colour of a dark and stormy night. Cafés should take more care, as tea drinkers are just as discerning as those who order a low-fat, gluten-free, decaffeinated soymilk medium glycolic cappuccino.
And why should they receive any more attention than those simply wanting a nice cup of tea?! The making of a pot of tea can become a regular and relaxing experience. We don’t just reach for a cup of tea when it’s tea time, but also during a crisis, when friends call in, when there are secrets to be shared, when we are hot, tired, cold or in need of a refreshing break.
The benefits of taking tea are great and varied: it’s good for heart health and the antioxidants tea contains fight those damaging free radicals in our bodies. Tea, it seems, also protects us from some forms of cancer, from osteoporosis, arthritis and Alzheimer’s.
With around 1500 varieties to choose from, you can enjoy the journey of trying teas from around the world until you find one you really like. You can even choose one for every mood, or season. We drink tons of Oolong Formosa most of the year, and then in the heat of the summer months, switch to enjoying the American idea of always having a pitcher of iced tea in the refrigerator, and for this we use Japanese Lime— refreshing just to say the words—which is served in tall glasses over ice with slices of fresh lime added.
So go on and drink all the tea in China, and taste and read and enjoy the stories of the ritual of drinking tea from tiny cups, and the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and all it entails, and of the evocative names of different tea varieties, (Cloud and Mist, Beautiful Eyebrows, Butterfly in Love).
There are three different types of tea. Green tea is unfermented, the leaves dried immediately after picking. Oolong tea is a semi-fermented large leaf tea. The third is black tea. The leaves are wilted, bruised by rolling, allowed to fully ferment in contact with the air until oxidation takes place, and then dried.
Tea is also used in the kitchen and is good to soak dried fruit in, flavour custards with, make ice cream from and for keeping this raisin loaf nice and moist.
Raisin Tea Loaf
1 cup of strong tea
300g raisins
60g butter, softened
1 tbsp honey
1 teaspoon of ground mixed spice
225g self-raising flour
125g brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Place the tea, raisins, butter and mixed spice together in a pot. Heat until the butter has melted and then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow cooling to room temperature. Grease and line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper and pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir the sugar through. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs together with the cooled tea. Take care not to overmix. Place batter into the loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked when tested.Remove from the oven, cool for five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Very good sliced and buttered—and served with a nice cup of tea.
Fiona Feasey
