In 1946 the Evening Standard released an article advising the best way to make and consume a cup of tea. Written by no other than George Orwell himself, the short essay encompassed eleven rules into making the perfect cup of tea with the writer himself stating that, ‘everyone... I regard as golden.’
Of course, out of the eleven fascinating rules in which Orwell wrote, most of them are now redundant to the modern world. Brewing tea within a china teapot for example, is now quite a foreign method to which none of us in the 21st century make much, if any use of. What Mr. Orwell would therefore make of the recipe which you are about to read, could quite possibly force shivers down the spine of the great writer himself.
Spawning from the heartland of Barnsley, far within the depths of South Yorkshire, a new tea drinking trend has started. Forced through the lips at amicable temperatures and brewed in the same style of modern day tea,
tecoffee is a surprisingly good yet somewhat bizarre beverage. Combining the elegance of tea and the power of coffee, a cup of tecoffee is certain to give your tongue a twist.
I have to admit, I was skeptical when I first heard about this. Tea and coffee just didn't mix in my mind. Despite what I initially felt, I tried it, and I liked it. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. Here is a recipe, in the 11-step style of Orwell, on how to make
tecoffee.
1. In a kettle, boil water using conventional methods. If of course, you do wish to use a teapot and defy my earlier exclamation, that is fine.
2. Prepare yourself a cup. Orwell himself advised that tea should be made in the smallest of quantities in order to refine the taste; though with the modern advancement of tea drinking technologies, it is fine to presume that a large cup will do just as well.
3. Once the kettle boils, leave it for a minute so that it cools, as a burnt teabag is an unhappy tea bag. Once it has cooled, place a teabag (I like
Ceylon or
Orange Pekoe best) within the cup and pour in hot water.
4. Stir, squeeze and stimulate the tea around the cup so that the maximum amount of dilution takes place. Once that you feel you have the desired strength of a normal cup of tea, throw the tea bag out.
5. Find from the fridge a bottle or carton of milk and stir into the tea. Use as little or as much as you like.
6. Now, this is where the distinction between tea and tecoffee becomes apparent. Place within the cup of tea a teaspoon of coffee (I used
fairtrade coffee by Coffechino). Blended and smooth coffee is best as bitter coffee does not mix well with tea.
7. Stir an ample amount of sugar within the cup as defined by your taste. Although Orwell strictly advised the omission of sugar, he was well aware that he was within a minority.
8. Leave the cup to cool for a number of minutes (approximately 3-5 minutes).
9. Once this cooling has taken place, and you wish you make your drink fancy, cover the summit of the cup with a thick head of whipped cream.
10. If you want to make your drink fancier, place a straw in the cup, suck and enjoy.
11. Break any of these rules to avoid doing something outlandish.
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