---
created_at: '2015-12-09T20:43:36.000Z'
title: Tea (1999)
url: http://h2g2.com/approved_entry/A61345
author: mutor
points: 61
story_text: 
comment_text: 
num_comments: 39
story_id: 
story_title: 
story_url: 
parent_id: 
created_at_i: 1449693816
_tags:
- story
- author_mutor
- story_10706588
objectID: '10706588'

---
[Source](https://h2g2.com/approved_entry/A61345 "Permalink to h2g2 - Tea - Edited Entry")

# h2g2 - Tea - Edited Entry

# [h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition][1]

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## The  
Hitchhikers Guide  
To The Galaxy

### Earth Edition

Tea Content from the guide to life, the universe and everything ![][10]

# Tea

Created May 12, 1999 | Updated Sep 3, 2014

[110 Conversations][11]

![][12]

One or two Americans have asked me why it is that the English like tea so much, which never seems to them to be a very good drink. To understand, you have to know how to make it properly. 

There is a very simple principle to the making of tea and it's this - to get the proper flavour of tea, the water has to be boil_ing_ (not boi_led_) when it hits the tea leaves. If it's merely hot then the tea will be insipid. That's why we English have these odd rituals, such as warming the teapot first (so as not to cause the boiling water to cool down too fast as it hits the pot). And that's why the American habit of bringing a teacup, a tea bag and a pot of hot water to the table is merely the perfect way of making a thin, pale, watery cup of tea that nobody in their right mind would want to drink. The Americans are all mystified about why the English make such a big thing out of tea because most Americans _have never had a good cup of tea_. That's why they don't understand. In fact the truth of the matter is that most English people don't know how to make tea any more either, and most people drink cheap instant coffee instead, which is a pity, and gives Americans the impression that the English are just generally clueless about hot stimulants. 

So the best advice I can give to an American arriving in England is this. Go to Marks and Spencer and buy a packet of Earl Grey tea. Go back to where you're staying and boil a kettle of water. While it is coming to the boil, open the sealed packet and sniff. Careful - you may feel a bit dizzy, but this is in fact perfectly legal. When the kettle has boiled, pour a little of it into a tea pot, swirl it around and tip it out again. Put a couple (or three, depending on the size of the pot) of tea bags into the pot (If I was really trying to lead you into the paths of righteousness I would tell you to use free leaves rather than bags, but let's just take this in easy stages). Bring the kettle back up to the boil, and then pour the boiling water as quickly as you can into the pot. Let it stand for two or three minutes, and then pour it into a cup. Some people will tell you that you shouldn't have milk with Earl Grey, just a slice of lemon. Screw them. I like it with milk. If you think you will like it with milk then it's probably best to put some milk into the bottom of the cup before you pour in the tea[1][13]. If you pour milk into a cup of hot tea you will scald the milk. If you think you will prefer it with a slice of lemon then, well, add a slice of lemon. 

Drink it. After a few moments you will begin to think that the place you've come to isn't maybe quite so strange and crazy after all. 

[1][14] This is socially incorrect. The socially correct way of pouring tea is to put the milk in after the tea. Social correctness has traditionally had nothing whatever to do with reason, logic or physics. In fact, in England it is generally considered socially incorrect to know stuff or think about things. It's worth bearing this in mind when visiting. 

  

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#### Conversations About This Entry

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##### Title

##### Latest Post

* [Tea and Coffee on the Wild Frontier][17]

[Oct 3, 2016][18]

* [Teapots][19]

[Mar 16, 2014][20]

* [Tea Bags][21]

[Jul 23, 2011][22]

* [Coffee vs Earl Grey vs Chamomile][23]

[Jul 6, 2010][24]

* [Which comes first?][25]

[Mar 11, 2010][26]

* [What about herbal tea?][27]

[Jul 6, 2009][28]

* [Milk cools the water][29]

[Dec 18, 2008][30]

* ["Why does it need to be boiling?"][31]

[Sep 13, 2008][32]

* [Tea Machines][33]

[Jun 19, 2008][34]

* [Tea Bags. incarnation of evil.][35]

[Jan 28, 2008][36]

[ 105 More Conversations | ][37] [Subscribe][38] | [Unsubscribe][38]

### Edited Entry

A61345

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### Categorised In:

* [Leisure & Lifestyle][41] > [House & Home][42] > [Kitchen][43]
* [Food & Drink][44] > [Non-alcoholic Drinks][45]
* [Food & Drink][44] > [Non-alcoholic Drinks][45] > [Tea][46]

[Tweet][47]

  

### Written by

* [Spirit][48]
* [DNA][49]

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[13]: https://h2g2.com#footnote1 " This is socially incorrect. The socially correct way of pouring tea is to put the milk in after the tea. Social correctness has traditionally had nothing whatever to do with reason, logic or physics. In fact, in England it is generally considered socially incorrect to know stuff or think about things. It's worth bearing this in mind when visiting. "
[14]: https://h2g2.com#back1 " This is socially incorrect. The socially correct way of pouring tea is to put the milk in after the tea. Social correctness has traditionally had nothing whatever to do with reason, logic or physics. In fact, in England it is generally considered socially incorrect to know stuff or think about things. It's worth bearing this in mind when visiting. "
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