London Calling! Wait, Calling London!

[stoney321]

My daughter and I have been arguing about something (in a good natured way) for a while, now, and I realized I can ask my flist, since so many of you are Brits (or Brit adjacent).

SERIOUS POLL OF IMPORTANCE AND SCIENTIFIC MEASURING OMG*

*not in the slightest, and if you take this seriously to the point of believing this is an actual academic poll, I am going to laugh at you. Because I am an idiot, come on, now.

[Poll #1916248]

Also, it is said daughter's 16th birthday today, and she's awesome, and I love her a whole bunch. And she has a big surprise waiting for her when she comes home from school. MOPPING! I'm kidding. A BABY! No, that's not it, either. THE BOOT! 16 is old enough to be on her own, amirite?

I have all day to be goofy, and I'm happy about that. Also, I had to get ranty in my Tumblr this morning, something I never do, but it's important. And no one cares, I know, but I do, and I feel responsible for this topic (hoarders) and yeah.

BACK TO MY CUP OF TEA. Sans milk. (OMG, the MiL is coming over today and I'm on my "no booze" week and that might need to change.)

Comments

[gingerpig.livejournal.com]

Like for really serious *g*

I like 'builders tea' as in leave the teabag in the cup 'til you can stand the spoon up in it and then show the side of the cup a little splash of skimmed milk. No sugar (which technically means it's not actually builder's tea as that along with 'NATO Standard' is strong with two sugars)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

NATO STANDARD. Omg, that is hilarious.

Really? Milk? Like, I guess I should ask if this is only for a specific type of tea, like black? Green? White?

Here in my neck of the woods, milk would be added to something like chamomile tea when you were little or sick.

I AM LEARNING SO MUCH, OMG.

[gillo]

Tea has milk in it. British workman's strong and murky is ultra-strong and has milk and lots of sugar. Traditionally a spoon can stand up by itself in a mug of it.

I prefer weak tea, milk, no sugar. Tea without milk is suspiciously foreign.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

HOW DO YOU MAKE A SPOON STAND IN TEA?

I thought that was a metaphor. *scratches head*

Okay, here is how I - a lowly foreigner - make tea. (Loose in my tea strainer)

*heat water to appropriate temp for whatever type it is (currently I'm on a white tea with dried bits of ginger in it)
* pour water over tea ball/strainer
* let sit for 2 minutes (because it's white)
* pull out strainer, add a spoon of sugar in the raw, drink.

I AM DOING IT WRONG FOR ENGLAND, I SEE. Consider my mind BLOWN.

[zyrya]

Milk in tea is a manners thing. Tea stains bone china, and this can be prevented by adding a bit of milk or lemon. So -not- taking either milk or lemon is a faux pas.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STONEY JR! I hope she has a gorgeous birthday!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

OHO, LOOK AT THAT! I love learning the manners aspect of it, how fascinating!! Okay, that is settling in my brain and now I'll know how to behave when I go to England, omg.

I will pass the wishes on! She's such a great kid, I just love her to pieces.

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

I am not British (woe is me!) but I drink black tea with milk and sugar. I drink the wimpy US teas, because that is what is available, but sometimes use loose teas with my strainer.

We have an electric kettle for heating water!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I'm all for loose tea so I can make it as strong as I like, too. <3

I have an old kettle that I can't part with, but an electric kettle would be great. (I know most Brits prefer that, as I've been told.)

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I'd love a cup of tea, milk and one-" [sugar, silently implied] = infallible way of putting people at ease when I turn up to do a Serious Inspection. You can't be afraid of someone drinking this.

Technically, I'll drink tea that has either milk or sugar, but both is better. Neither is baaaad.

Basic tea is *always* assumed to be black tea, and that's what you put milk [and one] in. Green tea and even white tea are around nowadays and are never milky afaik, but they're also always called 'green tea' or 'white tea'. Tea is tea, dammit.

I have no tea icons. Woe.

Kettles for everyone!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love this. I am so happy to learn the vernacular! Tea IS tea, I agree! I usually make a point of saying I'm drinking white tea, but if I hear "tea" I think of black.

[ladycyndra.livejournal.com]

16! I remember 16. Where the hell does time go, man??

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, I was just telling my husband today that there isn't enough money in the world to make me go back to being 16. But she's quite good at it!

:D

[eac.livejournal.com]

My husband (whose parents are British) takes his tea with milk and sugar. I used to drink mine with lemon (and nothing else, except honey if I had a cold) but after 15 years or so of relentless THINGS in the tea, I now put milk in it. My stomach likes me better when I drink it that way and I'm led to understand that this lowers the amount of tea stain on your teeth.

[eac.livejournal.com]

Er, unless it's green tea. In which case I drink it straight.

[deililly.livejournal.com]

I am an unnatural Brit and don't do builders tea. But then this is a soft water area so you don't need the tea to fight with the water... We put a slice of lemon in tea in hard water areas. Lessens the scum. I am looking at you London.

[gingerpig.livejournal.com]

I lived in Scotland for a little while and the water is lovely and soft there, best tea I ever had *pines*

Milk? In your tea? Echhhh

[lissysadmin.livejournal.com]

My mother was an expatriate Aussie (war bride, y'know) who suffered coffee for 15 years or so but reverted to tea (black tea - loose leaves if she could get it back in the 60's & 70's), two sugars, please, but the milk in the tea was for the children. I did the tea thing until way after college ( I love oolong and jasmine teas - sometimes a drop of honey or the slightest hint of sugar, but NEVER milk.) Now at my advanced age, I have an absolute caffeine (as in the blackest coffee roast I can get) addiction, two sugars please. I always say the caffeine and sugar is my jump start of an AM.). A little chamomile in the winter evenings. (The acorn doesn't fall very far from the tree.). But MILK is for children, sorry. Possibly for YOUR child, as well? No bone china to fret over:).

Re: Milk? In your tea? Echhhh

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

See, "the milk in the tea was for the children" was what I was led to believe was the norm.

Mmmm, jasmine tea. SO SO GOOD.

(Can I blow your mind about coffee? The lighter the roast, the more caffeine. I KNOW. I know. But it's true. The caffeine gets broken down - it's an actual, tangible oil, and is not unlike ear wax (blech) in its natural state - the longer its roasted.) But I drink Sumatra. Mmmm. Dark, like my thoughts. :D

No bone china in the house, I'm afraid! Well, not tea cups, just plates.

[veedub.livejournal.com]

milk and sugar (only i've been using Splenda, which is a bit too sweet) in Yorkshire Gold tea. Best. Cuppa. Evar.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

I clicked on the milk, but I also clicked on the no milk. This is because neither Earl Grey, which I don't care for much, nor Lapsang Souchong, which I love should have milk (or lemon) anywhere near them.

Mmmm. Lapsang.

[gillo]

I like my Earl Grey weak with milk. Delicious. Especially with a toasted tea cake.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Tea made with one PG Tips teabag, boiling water poured over, then milk added with the teabag still in, dunk the teabag furiously for a moment or two until the brew turns pale brown, decant tea bag into bin.

Sit at desk and let out a low sigh of happiness.

Surf internet. *sips*

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

Tea turns my stomach (it's the tannin), but, really do I have to drink absolutely everything in the world?

MIL+ no booze is a no go in my world but you're made of much sterner stuff than me!

WAIT!

[druidchick.livejournal.com]

Why would I want to put milk in my tea*??

Southern tea- iced and sweetened

LOL

[dovil.livejournal.com]

I'm going to pretend I'm Brit adjacent, plus I know lots and lots and lots of English people. They're everywhere, no matter how much I spray.

Gumboot tea (I think it's the cousin to builders tea) always needs milk in it, sometimes lashings of it, sometimes to disguise that the tea is probably a bit crap.

No milk is for herbal tea because hippies are lactose intolerant and will fart the place up.

Yay, 16! That's legal working age, right? BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You should sit her down and tell her about periods and sex, the best birthday present a mum can give.

[stephanierb.livejournal.com]

A very happy birthday and sweet sixteen to your daughter!

My mother is English and everyone in her family drinks tea with milk, no sugar. I take mine black with honey. I'm clearly the black sheep of the family.

[serenelystrange.livejournal.com]

The ignorance of people(even if innocent) is so sad sometimes. Anyway, yay tumblr! I'm following you now, don't be alarmed, lol.(irrationalrage over there).

[alittleacademe.livejournal.com]

Also, milk no sugar is my preference. You COULD look at The Importance of Being Earnest where Gwendolen and Cecily have a bitchfight through the medium of tea. It's hilarious. And then make your daughters act it out. *nods*

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

what's your criteria for Tumblr vs. Lj postage?

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

also, it depends on the kind of tea. English breakfast: milk for me. Earl gray (hot): milk an abomination.

[lostakasha.livejournal.com]

my mom's fam is from england, which, by the way, there will always be an England, and England shall be free, if England means as much to you as England means to me....(sorry, but she used to sing me to sleep with that).....

then add the confusion that is a metric fuckton of Canadian relatives, and my go to is a modified builder's special: dark as pitch with a splash of milk, no sugar. and used to always have it in a bone china mug. because my great granddaddy saved one of the Johnson brothers kids from drowning. The Johnson pottery brothers, not just brothers with Johnson's and I am not sorry.

May the sun never set. Victoriaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[anelith.livejournal.com]

Tea is one of my favorite subjects in the world! Love tea and drink far too much of it. We have all the "equipment" meaning an electric kettle, multiple teapots, and a whole cabinet devoted to different varieties of loose-leaf and bagged tea.

I used to never drink it with milk, and sugar only when I was sick (not because I don't like it sweet but because I drink so much tea that it would give me diabetes to include sugar in every cup). But the past few years I started having trouble with acid reflux -- perhaps due to drinking so much acidic tea?? And now I add a bit of milk to calm it down. I'd rather have no milk but there you go. It's better to have milky tea than no tea at all.

Happy happy 16th birthday to your girl!!!

[whisperyvoices.livejournal.com]

Okay. I must speak for the countries colonized by the Youuu Kaaaaay and rant about the rubbish WEAK tea i've been served in London. HMPH. Tea must be brewed strongly! With fresh milk! And cardamom and cinnamon added! And a wee bit of sugar. THAT's how it's done, yo. My people didn't suffer through decades of Brit rule to now be told otherwise yo!