How do American's have their cuppa??

[swan_purple]

I was watching desperate houswives and one of the housewives came along with what I'm guessing is a cup of tea. It still had the tea bag in when she was drinking (didn't show her take the tea bag out but I guess that doesn't make for very interesting viewing, I guess some think neither does desperate housewives!) and it didn't have any milk. I know they make it differently and I think in the dark recesses of my mind that I knew they make it black, but are there any other differences?

Just out of curiosity really as I have never crossed the pond!

xoxo.

[tinkerbell23]

Probs a herbal or fruit tea x

[237SJ]

A lot of Americans ask for "hot tea" because iced tea is quite popular in the US. When I`ve been out and about at food courts etc, I have quite often been given the cup with tea bag and milk all plonked in at the same time. Yuk

[DTCwordfan]

As SJ says; theoretically it allows you to control the tea strength. It's very rare to get properly brewed tea.....

[237SJ]

That`s why I never go anywhere without a kettle, milk and teabags in my suitcase DT!

[DTCwordfan]

and a High Tea is something completely different - all it refers to is the height of the serving platter carrying the sarnies, scones and the cakes.

You have been warned.

[Nibble]

Oooh yummy - High Tea (pronounced Hiy Tay in Morningside), I'll be there ☺

[DTCwordfan]

well they do have kettles and milk, or they did the last time I was over in the Land of the Free. However, that Lipton stuff is absolutely "orrful" - it tastes like what I imagine ground toenails of Armadillos would be, IMO.

[pdust]

i remember ages ago on fb saying something about my kettle in relation to a cuppa... friends i had in america were asking why i needed a kettle so i says well what do you lot use then? apparently they nearly all have iced tea and said kettles were practically unheard of as they either used water geyser things or boiled it in a pan (yuk) .... its not the same if you dont use a kettle, i bet their teas rubbish lol

[ladyalex]

The tea bags in the US are considerably weaker than we are used to. Even if you buy UK-strength ones.
You need to use at least double the number for a decent brew.
Also, if you don't ask for 'Hot Tea' you will very likely be given iced tea. A beverage I find so disgusting that even typing about it is making me shudder.
I didn't think Americans had any concept of High Tea at all...
but maybe that was what you meant, DT ?

[237SJ]

The kettles and milk are for my room (when I wake up in the morning). They`re partial to those Liptons in Oz too.

[ladyalex]

When we talked about a kettle in the US, they thought we were talking about a large cooking pot.
They certainly have kettles as we would recognise them, but generally a kettle is a cooking pot you would put on the stove.

[swan_purple]

Ah! But you need a good brew!

So its drunk with the tea bag in throughout drinking? Surely you get biffed on the nose by it periodically?

[DTCwordfan]

Not as we know it, Lady A - their "High Tea" also tends to be a southern thing......

[Nibble]

Definately no kettles here, just infusers(?), whatever they are http://www.americante...1&numcols=0&numrows=0

[237SJ]

Most hotel rooms have those coffee machines that you put a bag in. If you use them to make tea, there is usually a coffee taint with it. A colleague of mine decided to use one to make her coffee. She couldn`t understand what the little white bits were that were floating on the top. She thought the milk had curdled. Then she realised they were maggots. A fly had laid it`s eggs in the machine.

[DTCwordfan]

They do usually serve the tea with an instrument called a teaspoon, allowing for appropriate extraction of the said teabag - usually to be dumped unceremoniously on the saucer. Failing that, a tug on the teabag string and placement fortwith on the saucer works too.

[swan_purple]

Thanks DT :-p hehe! Got the wrong end of the stick there!

[ladyalex]

So High Tea as in 'this is a special snack of tea with scones and cakes all served on a tiered cakestand' ?
As opposed to a hearty meal accompanied by toast and jam and followed by scones and cakes ?
Gosh, I could really go a High Tea now.

[DTCwordfan]

gross SJ, having said that, I was a secret shopper for one of the 5 star (really 6 star brands) and that was one thing we looked for. In addition to:

pubes in the toilet or the bath
dust under the bed, sheets all properly laundered (yes - some gross stories there)
mini-bar bottles properly sealed (just use your imagination)
and many others.....

[DTCwordfan]

cleanliness of the coffee machine that is....