1/1/2017 GeorgeOrwell:ANiceCupofTea

GeorgeOrwell
ANiceCupofTea
Ifyoulookupteainthefirstcookerybookthatcomestohandyouwillprobablyfindthatitisunmentioned
or at most you will find a few lines of sketchy instructions which give no ruling on several ofthe most
importantpoints.
Thisiscurious,notonlybecauseteaisoneofthemainstaysofcivilizationinthiscountry,aswellasin
Eire,AustraliaandNewZealand,butbecausethebestmannerofmakingitisthesubjectofviolentdisputes.
WhenIlookthroughmyownrecipefortheperfectcupoftea,Ifindnofewerthanelevenoutstanding
points. On perhaps two of them there would be pretty general agreement, but at least four others areacutely
controversial.Herearemyownelevenrules,everyoneofwhichIregardasgolden:
Firstofall,oneshoulduseIndianorCeylonesetea.Chinateahasvirtueswhicharenottobedespised
nowadaysitiseconomical,andonecandrinkitwithoutmilkbutthereisnotmuchstimulationinit.One
doesnotfeelwiser,braverormoreoptimisticafterdrinkingit.Anyonewhohasusedthatcomfortingphrasea
nicecupofteainvariablymeansIndiantea.Secondly,teashouldbemadeinsmallquantitiesthatis,ina
teapot. Tea out of an urn is always tasteless, while army tea, made ina cauldron, tastes of grease and
whitewash.Theteapotshouldbemadeofchinaorearthenware.SilverorBritanniawareteapotsproduceinferior
tea and enamel pots are worse though curiously enough apewter teapot (a rarity nowadays) is not so bad.
Thirdly,thepotshouldbewarmedbeforehand.Thisisbetterdonebyplacingitonthehobthanbytheusual
methodofswillingitoutwithhotwater.Fourthly,theteashouldbestrong.Forapotholdingaquart,ifyouare
goingtofillitnearlytothebrim,sixheapedteaspoonswouldbeaboutright.Inatimeofrationing,thisisnot
anideathatcanberealizedoneverydayoftheweek,butImaintainthatonestrongcupofteaisbetterthan
twentyweakones.Alltruetealoversnotonlyliketheirteastrong,butlikeitalittlestrongerwitheachyearthat
passesafactwhichisrecognizedintheextrarationissuedtooldagepensioners.Fifthly,theteashouldbe
put straight into the pot. No strainers, muslin bags or other devices to imprison the tea. In some countries
teapotsarefittedwithlittledanglingbasketsunderthespouttocatchthestrayleaves,whicharesupposedtobe
harmful.Actuallyonecanswallowtealeavesinconsiderablequantitieswithoutilleffect,andiftheteaisnot
looseinthepotitneverinfusesproperly.Sixthly,oneshouldtaketheteapottothekettleandnottheotherway
about.Thewatershouldbeactuallyboilingatthemomentofimpact,whichmeansthatoneshouldkeepiton
theflamewhileonepours.Somepeopleaddthatoneshouldonlyusewaterthathasbeenfreshlybroughttothe
boil,butIhavenevernoticedthatitmakesanydifference.Seventhly,aftermakingthetea,oneshouldstirit,or
better,givethepotagoodshake,afterwardsallowingtheleavestosettle.Eighthly,oneshoulddrinkoutofa
good breakfast cup that is,the cylindrical type of cup, not the flat, shallow type. The breakfastcup holds
more,andwiththeotherkindonesteaisalwayshalfcoldbeforeonehaswellstartedonit.Ninthly,oneshould
pour the cream off the milk before using itfor tea. Milk that is too creamy always gives tea a sickly taste.
Tenthly, one should pour tea into the cup first. This is one ofthe most controversial points of all indeed in
everyfamilyinBritainthereareprobablytwoschoolsofthoughtonthesubject.Themilkfirstschoolcanbring
forwardsomefairlystrongarguments,butImaintainthatmyownargumentisunanswerable.Thisisthat,by
putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactlyregulate the amount of milk whereas one is
liabletoputintoomuchmilkifonedoesittheotherwayround.Lastly,teaunlessoneisdrinkingitinthe
Russianstyleshouldbedrunkwithoutsugar.IknowverywellthatIaminaminorityhere.Butstill,how
canyoucallyourselfatruetealoverifyoudestroytheflavourofyourteabyputtingsugarinit?Itwouldbe
equallyreasonabletoputinpepperorsalt.Teaismeanttobebitter,justasbeerismeanttobebitter.Ifyou
sweeten it, you areno longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar you couldmake a very similar
drinkbydissolvingsugarinplainhotwater.
Somepeoplewouldanswerthattheydontliketeainitself,thattheyonlydrinkitinordertobewarmed
and stimulated, and they need sugar to take the taste away. To those misguided people I would say: Try

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1/1/2017 GeorgeOrwell:ANiceCupofTea

drinkingteawithoutsugarfor,say,afortnightanditisveryunlikelythatyouwilleverwanttoruinyourteaby
sweeteningitagain.
Thesearenottheonlycontroversialpointstoariseinconnexionwithteadrinking,buttheyaresufficient
to show how subtilized the whole business has become. There is also the mysterious social etiquette
surroundingtheteapot(whyisitconsideredvulgartodrinkoutofyoursaucer,forinstance?)andmuchmight
be written about the subsidiary uses of tealeaves, such as telling fortunes, predicting the arrival of visitors,
feedingrabbits,healingburnsandsweepingthecarpet.Itisworthpayingattentiontosuchdetailsaswarming
thepotandusingwaterthatisreallyboiling,soastomakequitesureofwringingoutofonesrationthetwenty
good,strongcupsofthattwoounces,properlyhandled,oughttorepresent.

1946

THEEND

____BD____
GeorgeOrwell:ANiceCupofTea
Firstpublished:EveningStandard.GB,London.January12,1946.

Reprinted:
TheCollectedEssays,JournalismandLettersofGeorgeOrwell.1968.

(Textsource:OrwellProjectbyO.Dag.19992004www.orwell.ru)

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