AUTHORS AND TEA MAKING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18116, 14 June 1922, Page 12

AUTHORS AND TEA MAKING.

RECIPE FOR THE PERFECT CUP Though Mr. Arnold Bennett claims that he can make tea better than 19 housewives out of 20 in this country, writes the Manchester Guardian, his method of teamaking might fail to satisfy other distinguished authors—Hazlitt, for instance, who, according to P. G. Patmore, always made his tea himself. "He used to halffill the pot with tea, pour the boiling water on, and then almost immediately pour it out, nsing with it a great quantity of cream and sugar." Leigh Hunt in one of his essays describes a far more elaborate method —the only way, he declares, of producing a perfect cup of tea, . "About an ounce of tea was rubbed to powder by my fair Hebe, and deposited in its broad, shallow silver^.receiver, with just cold water enough'to saturate it. After standing 20 minutes, hot water off the boil, as if, is technically called—that is, free from ebullition —was poured on it, amounting 'in quantity to three-quarters of a pint, and the lid was closely shut down on it, while the tea cup was placed on the spout to catch the aroma thence issuing. At the expiration of a minute it was poured out. A small portion of cream was instantly added to prevent the escape of the essential oil, and just sufficient sugar to neutralise the slight bitter." —