1st sem F&B notes practicals Preparation & Service of Tea

Preparation & Service of Tea

The purpose of this practical is to make you learn preparation setup & service of Tea

At the end of this practical you will be able to setup & service of Tea.

Tea brewing or preparation is an art that is simple to perform but which also requires some care to do well. While essentially tea is brewed by adding boiling water to the dry leaf, the quantity of leaves, the temperature of the water and timing is of vital concern. The following is a guide for the preparation of tea. The basic rule of thumb to start is 'one teaspoon of loose-leaf tea per cup.

1.      Warm your empty tea pot by filling it with hot water. This will prevent the hot water from cooling too quickly when leaves are added.

2.      Boil freshly drawn tap water. If the quality of your tap water is poor, try using filtered or bottled spring water. For black tea, use the water when it comes to a boil. Water left boiling too long will de-aerate. This will result in a flat tasting tea. For green tea, the water should be heated to a lower temperature (usually approximately 80 degrees Celsius), which may vary from tea to tea.

3.       Empty the hot water from your tea pot and add 2.25g or one rounded teaspoon of tea leaves for each cup of water (or one heaping teaspoon per mug), placing the tea directly into the bottom of the pot or using a basket infuser. Tea ball strainers, while convenient, often yield poorer tasting tea as they are often too small to allow all of the leaves to fully unravel its contents. If you do use a tea ball, be sure to use one that is sufficiently large to pack the tea loosely.

4.      Add the freshly boiled water over the leaves in the tea pot.

5.      Brew tea for the appropriate length of time. Time needed to brew tea varies depending on the leaves being used and the drinker's individual taste. Careful timing is essential for brewing tea. A very general rule to follow is the smaller the leaf, the less time required for brewing. Broken grades of tea leaves and most Darjeeling teas usually only need 3-4 minutes to brew. Whole-leaf teas often need 4-5 minutes. All teas, however, will become bitter due to higher tannin extraction if brewed for longer than 5 or 6 minutes. When brewing tea, time with a timer, and not with your eyes. It is a common mistake to brew the tea until it looks a particular colour or shade. The colour of tea is a poor indicator of the tea's taste.

6.      If you use a basket infuser or a tea ball, remove these promptly when the brewing time has expired. If you placed the tea directly into the pot, pour the tea into the cups through a strainer to catch the leaves. In this instance, if you do not wish to serve your tea immediately, pour your tea through a strainer into another pre-heated tea pot.

7.      Milk and sugar should be added according to individual taste. Adding of milk first or last does not make any significant difference in the taste of tea - but many people have their choice some like to add milk first and some afterwards. Sugar must be added last.

·         Tea sometimes is brewed with spices like fresh ginger, dried ginger powder or cardamoms to enrich the flavour.

·         Tea is also taken hot with sugar and slices of lemon.

·         For preparing iced tea: Prepare strong tea, pour over crushed ice on which placed a sprig of mint and topped with lemon slices.

·         Instant tea: Another convenient method of preparing tea is to use tea bags.

Cover:-

ü  Tea Cup

ü  Saucer

ü  Tea Spoon

Tea Pot, Creamer with milk or cream, Sugar basin with sugar tongs, Tea strainer.

Service:-

ü  Place a tea cup, saucer and tea spoon from the right side of the guest.

ü  Ask how much sugar is needed.

ü  Add as required.

ü  Ask whether black tea or with milk.

ü  Pour the black tea. If with milk, leave some space at the top of the cup.

ü  Ask whether milk or cream is required.

ü  Pour the requirement.