What In The World Is Sun Tea?

Everything you see I owe to spaghetti. — Sophia Loren

Sun tea, what an absolute joke! Using the power of the sun to make tea? It’s absurd! The flavor will be so weak, it’s like drinking water with a hint of tea. If you want a proper tea, you need to brew it with boiling water to extract the maximum flavor. And don’t even get me started on the cleanliness of this method. The bacteria that can grow in the tea when it’s left out in the sun for hours is a health hazard waiting to happen.

Instead, let’s make a proper tea — a classic English Breakfast tea. You’ll need a kettle, not the sun, to boil the water. And don’t even think about using just any old tea bag. You need high-quality loose leaf tea for a full-bodied flavor.

Classic English Breakfast Tea

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons of loose leaf English Breakfast tea
• 4 cups of freshly boiled water
• Milk and sugar to taste

Instructions:

1. Boil the water in a kettle.
2. While the water is boiling, measure out the loose leaf English Breakfast tea into a teapot.
3. Once the water has come to a rolling boil, pour it over the loose leaf tea in the teapot.
4. Let the tea steep for 3–5 minutes, depending on how strong you like it.
5. Pour the tea into teacups and serve with milk and sugar to taste.

Wine Pairing

A proper English tea calls for a classic accompaniment, a glass of dry sparkling wine, such as Bollinger Special Cuvée. The effervescence of the wine complements the richness of the tea and the light tannins cut through the creaminess of the milk.

Bon Appetit

If you’ve brewed this Classic English Breakfast Tea without it tasting like a lukewarm cup of dishwater, then you’re on the right track to experiencing a true English morning ritual. Craving more culinary adventures that transport you to the quaint countryside tea rooms of England? Hit that subscribe button for a journey through the world of tea traditions. And if you’ve found the perfect balance of strength and flavor in your cuppa, please, share your tea secrets in the comments. Or, perhaps in the spirit of tea time tranquility, it’s best to quietly sip your Classic English Breakfast Tea, knowing that sometimes the simplest pleasures are the most satisfying.