your quest begins…

Before we start enjoying our black tea with exquisite treats, let us focus on how to make the tea itself….

First off, allow me to state a general rule: I’m not crazy about tea bags.  They’re good for certain emergency situations, but, other than that, let’s brew our own.  Now, I prefer using a samovar  simply because it’s always been done that way in my household, but tea pots and tea kettles and any other cool methods you have enough spare time to try and make up will probably work just as well. 

Next, we have the question of ratios.  Every chai-drinker seeks the perfect balance between tea and water, a most tasty venture.  The truth, however, is that there is no perfect formula.  It’s a matter of taste and I will leave it up to you to discover, through trial and error, what ratio suits you best.  A good starting point is to have eight ounces of hot water for the first table-spoon of tea, and about four more ounces for each additional table-spoon.  Let it steam for anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how much flavor you want – I usually go for the max.  Then, again depending on your taste, fill a portion of your glass with tea and the remainder with boiled water.  Play around with the numbers though and see what you like; by the time you’ve found your ideal balance, I will have provided you with plenty of yummies to go along with it.

A nice, dark tea, birthed by a most handsome German samovar.