PENNYWORTH
THE BUTLER'S PANTRY
WAYNE MANOR
#NationalHotTeaDay
In honor of this admirable hashtag, one held a very pleasant afternoon taking questions on social media, with the promise that if one was impressed with the queries received, one would reveal the one additional secret to Pennyworth tea-making disclosed to Miss Selina but not chronicled in Polishing Silver: The Journal of Alfred Pennyworth. The results of that very enjoyable Q&A follow:
Q. Is sugar or milk acceptable in tea, or only for uncivilized people? @Devilcandy
A. Milk is best only added to stronger black teas, such as Darjeeling or English Breakfast Tea (also known as Chinese Keemun). It should not be added to green or white teas, and it is the rare herbal that will benefit from the intrusion. Herbal teas do benefit by a bit of sugar, as do black tea for many palates. Honey, however, is almost never used by people of taste except in teas taken as a throat remedy.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that purveyors of Chinese teas do not recommend milk and sugar even in their black teas (such as their K which they brew rather more delicately than we do in England.) As with all things, it is very much a matter of taste. So long as you never mix milk and lemon, you should not be viewed as unciviized by anyone who knows what they are about.
Q. Also, opinion on small cups vs huge mugs? @devilcandy
A. An excellent question. I have always been of the opinion that a fine brew is enhanced by a pretty cup. It was, after all, the passion for tea that brought an appreciation for the exquisite Chinese porcelains. Yet it is in that country we see "tea cups" that are no larger than a western shot glass. That's very well and good if you are passing a social hour or two with your friend, brewing pot after pot (the equally miniature Chinese Yixing pots are quite delightful), savoring and discussing the changes over multiple infusions of the leaves. But it's not exactly homey. Nor is it convenient when one is alone and wants to take one's tea away to enjoy a good book. I favor a good large cup on these occasions, of whatever type you find aesthetically pleasing.
Q. Hey Mr. Pennyworth, my tea question is more in the nature of a geek curiosity: what is Earl Grey Tea? @Woyston
A. Earl Grey is an especially aromatic blend of black tea with notes of bergamot and citrus, first introduced commercially by the Twinings Company when the second Earl Grey was made a gift of the recipe by an envoy returning from China. Centuries before any type of trademark protections were in place, the blend was soon copied by other makers. While Twinings continues to produce the original Earl Grey, they eventually introduced Lady Grey, a variation for which they have exclusive rights. One is informed by Master Tim that Earl Grey was made famous to geeks by Jean Luc Picard as his favorite beverage on Star Trek TNG.
Q. My knowledgeable salesman told me I should get a ceramic tea pot, choose one tea, and only use that one tea in that specific pot. This made me think: do you own several different tea pots?
A. Your salesman may be speaking of 'seasoning' which brings us again to tea's roots in China, where the both glazed pots and the more porous Yixing are dedicated to the brewing of a certain tea and soaked in a kind of 'tea soup' prior to use. It's vital with the porous ones, as they will absorb the taste of the tea over many years of brewing, making the result deliciously rich in a dedicated pot, and a confused melange if many different types are brewed in it. So one might have an Yixing pot for Oolongs and one for black teas, OR if one is fortunate enough, one might even have individual pots for more specific types: one for Lapsang Souchong and one for an Old Tree Yunnan, though both are black teas.
I will tell you more about my personal teapot shortly. First, a video on seasoning which you might find interesting.
While one is fortunate to have the vast Wayne collection at once's disposal, I confess that I use one particular pot for nearly all brews. It is an antique blue-and-white Dresden from Villeroy & Boch with a wonderfully large spout such as one never finds on newer teapots. I assume the modern makers assume these pots are bought 'for show', but it really is most inconvenient. This pot is no longer presentable upstairs, thanks to a few "character marks" (that is, a chip and a crack where they do no harm) but I would not trade it for anything.
An Yixing teapot, made from the prized purple clay of the region, made an appearance in The Neighborhood as a part of Miss Selina's con.
Once the tea is infused, I pour it into a serving pot to prevent it becoming tannic and bitter. Except on formal occasions, I serve in a rather simple white bone china pot from Royal Doulton. While Master Bruce attempted to introduce a "warming pot" of unknown polymer material for those occasions when he is served in the cave, with the argument that it was ‘more durable,’ he was forced to admit that this object altered the taste of the tea, and civilized habits have since been restored.
Miss Selina has occasionally indicated a preference for the Limoges. One overlooks her weakness for the French just as Master Bruce overlooks certain criminal incidents in her past.
Q. Dear Mr. Pennyworth, have you any opinions or insights concerning the medicinal value of teas? As a pertinent example, what might you suggest as the base beverage for an individual suffering from a prolonged cold? I'm not a fan of the multitudinous varieties of 'herbal teas' which, as I understand things, ought more properly to be referred to as tisanes; I find the ingredients of most of them confusing to grasp and their brewings frankly not pleasant to drink. I would be willing to entertain recommendations, however, if you have any on offer? ~Facebook
A. One believes that, from the first teas brewed in Yunnan Province, tea has always been viewed first as a medicine by those who found it.
Whether because the caffeine makes most varieties a stimulant, or because other blends are soothing, everyone seemed to agree tea is good for you, even if theories varied as to how. The observation of so many in so many lands over so much time cannot be dismissed.
With time and learning, we are able to be more specific: White and green teas are powerful
antioxidants, and very healthful in that respect.
Any daily cup of hot water will act as a diuretic, which is most beneficial to those suffering from
hypertension.
If one is sick, particularly with a prolonged cold, as you say, hydration becomes an issue.
A few cups of hot liquid will restore moisture lost in unpleasant sneezing, sweating, etc. and soothe
throats agitated by coughing.
I would also suggest, though this is purely subjective, that choosing a tea you enjoy will lift the spirits.
Definitely avoid what you don't like. It is tiresome enough being sick without having to swallow some
dreadful concoction.
While I absolutely endorse your skepticism about faddish herbals, I will relate that Nana Pennyworth swore by mint and ginger tea as "the best thing for a tummy", and I have never had cause to question her.
“There are only four tins of tea in this kitchen. I’ve tried them all, nothing tastes like this. Dick’s tried to make it; Barbara’s tried. I think once Leslie tried. It never comes out like this. Selina, I’m going to ask you one more time, and you’re going to tell me. How did you make this?” - Bruce Wayne, String Theory
While this concluded the questions from the general public, I will now address the matter submitted by Ms. Dee, the author of Cat-Tales, which prompted this exercise to see if the readership would prove itself worthy of a cherished Pennyworth secret:
Dear Alfred,
As you know, Polishing Silver contained a scene of your teaching Selina your very special method of brewing tea. A few stories later, Bruce was shocked when she was able to brew your tea exactly in your absence when, he said, neither he, Dick, Barbara or Leslie Thompkins had been able to get it right. Sadly, there are people who simply cannot accept that there are things Selina can do that their pet character cannot. Would you permit me to reveal, at last, the secret that Bruce's scientific acumen or "a retired librarian with a photographic memory and Internet access" could not unearth?
Ms. Dee,
No one has greater appreciation for Master Bruce’s intelligence and ability than I, nor a greater acquaintance with their limitations. As for Ms. Barbara, while a charming young woman who has made Master Dick an excellent wife, her stubborn devotion to the so-called ‘practicality’ of tea bags precludes her involvement in any serious discussion of this subject. It is certainly one’s prerogative to drink whatever they please, but anyone who claims the brewing of ground bits of leaf confined in a bag is not inferior to full leaves that are able to unfurl at full length in 195F water in a fully warmed pot? Such a person is simply deluding themselves. Of the four persons named, Ms. Barbara is in my opinion the least likely to have the palate to deduce the two teas used from the four tins available in the kitchen. Master Bruce has the most educated palate, when he bothers to use it, honed over countless performances as a wine snob and scotch snob. He would be most likely to identify the notes of muscatel, burnt sugar and cocoa that reveal a Second Flush Darjeeling and the roasted smokiness and sweetness of Northern Fujian Golden Lapsang. He might even, in time, determine the correct proportions through trial and error.
While any of the four could learn from the Internet the importance of warming the pot and of not over boiling the water, I believe only Master Bruce and Dr. Thompkins would take the trouble to do so. Dr. Thompkins would do it to produce the highest quality brew from the exceptional tea she was given to work with. Master Bruce, because if he was trying to reproduce my recipe, he would know he must also reproduce my method of preparation if he was to gauge the result with any degree of accuracy.
And yet, as String Theory reported, he was not successful. I will permit you to share this much of the reason: that there was a secret disclosed to Miss Selina that did not appear in the text of Polishing Silver.
What that secret is… hm. I see that Hot Tea Day is almost upon us. I will test your Internet and if they prove themselves as worthy as Miss Selina, the secret will be shared.
And so the Hot Tea Day challenge was given, and I must say I was pleased with the scope of intelligent questions I received—and the equally welcome absence of insulting nonsense. The Cat-Tales readership is indeed worthy of this missing ingredient.
Milk in first or last, and other matters of importance in Ask Alfred.
