Hello all,

Does anyone know if steeping your tea directly in heated milk (i.e. no
water involved in the process) will affect it's infusion? Will using
milk only decrease the amount of "goodstuffs" (for lack of a better
word... and knowledge) that's extracted from the tea leaves?

Thanks.

wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Does anyone know if steeping your tea directly in heated milk (i.e. no
> water involved in the process) will affect it's infusion? Will using
> milk only decrease the amount of "goodstuffs" (for lack of a better
> word... and knowledge) that's extracted from the tea leaves?
>
> Thanks.

Let me preface this by saying I have never tried this and am not an
expert or chemistry-type person... but, I would think it would not
steep well. It would seem to me that the type of milk would be
important. Skim would most likely produce better results of all the
types of milk. I would think the fat content would inhibit steeping to
some degree.

The best I can say would be to try it out and report back. Good luck!

- Dominic

Dominic 4/11/06


>
> wrote:
>> Hello all,
>>
>> Does anyone know if steeping your tea directly in heated milk (i.e. no
>> water involved in the process) will affect it's infusion? Will using
>> milk only decrease the amount of "goodstuffs" (for lack of a better
>> word... and knowledge) that's extracted from the tea leaves?
>>
>> Thanks.
>
> Let me preface this by saying I have never tried this and am not an
> expert or chemistry-type person... but, I would think it would not
> steep well. It would seem to me that the type of milk would be
> important. Skim would most likely produce better results of all the
> types of milk. I would think the fat content would inhibit steeping to
> some degree.

Buffalo, and boil the shit out of it!

> wrote:
>
>Does anyone know if steeping your tea directly in heated milk (i.e. no
>water involved in the process) will affect it's infusion? Will using
>milk only decrease the amount of "goodstuffs" (for lack of a better
>word... and knowledge) that's extracted from the tea leaves?

Yes, it changes the way the tea tastes considerably, because you are now
doing an oil extraction as well. I think the result is rather unpleasant
but some folks like it for spiced masala teas.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

The chemical reaction of the polyphenols in tea with proteins and fats
contained in milk has been scientifically researched. The latest
consensus I heard of (forgot the source) says that adding milk doesn´t
significantly "block" the polyphenols.

You might want to try a mix of 50% water/50% milk as it is widely
practised in India and Nepal. Bring to a boil, add tea (& chai spices),
steep, "enjoy".

Karsten

Agree. This is very very common in India and used this way for CTC tea.

The uppity sahibs who use the "teapot" and the "tea cozy" and brew
Darjeelings don't add milk till the tea is poured into the cup. The others
get the 50-50 mixture to boil, throw in the CTC, boil for 30 seconds and
simmer some more. In some households, more water+milk+CTC is added to this
during the day as more tea is needed.

--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com

> wrote in message
oups.com...
The chemical reaction of the polyphenols in tea with proteins and fats
contained in milk has been scientifically researched. The latest
consensus I heard of (forgot the source) says that adding milk doesn´t
significantly "block" the polyphenols.

You might want to try a mix of 50% water/50% milk as it is widely
practised in India and Nepal. Bring to a boil, add tea (& chai spices),
steep, "enjoy".

Karsten

On 11 Apr 2006 15:06:24 -0700, wrote:

>You might want to try a mix of 50% water/50% milk as it is widely
>practised in India and Nepal. Bring to a boil, add tea (& chai spices),
>steep, "enjoy".

Did you not just forget something here? The sickly sweet taste!

Add 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of sugar, per glass of tea. Real chai
should always be served in glasses, unless of course you can have it
in a little handmade clay cup, disposable, out the railway window
along with banana peel and other leftovers.


Lars
Stockholm

>> You might want to try a mix of 50% water/50% milk as it is widely
>> practised in India and Nepal. Bring to a boil, add tea (& chai spices),
>> steep, "enjoy".
>
> Did you not just forget something here? The sickly sweet taste!

Rather negative description of proper chai, eh? Add processed
white sugar to anything, and you'll drive the life right out of it. For
chai, put in jagery, or however you spell it. That's a rough raw sugar that
adds flavor and sweetness to the brew. And for the love of God, don't under
any circumstances buy any product called "chai"; instead, make it up
yourself. I have spoken.

OP is of course correct on all counts.

Michael

Lars schrieb:
> Did you not just forget something here? The sickly sweet taste!

Not exactly forgotten, I still get the shivers when I just think of it,
yuk ...
My first words in Hindi some x years ago: "bi na chini" - no sugar
(please).

Karsten [12 yr old green Menghai in der Tasse]

4/13/06


> Lars schrieb:
>> Did you not just forget something here? The sickly sweet taste!
>
> Not exactly forgotten, I still get the shivers when I just think of it,
> yuk ...
> My first words in Hindi some x years ago: "bi na chini" - no sugar
> (please).
>
> Karsten [12 yr old green Menghai in der Tasse]
>


Me thinks no sugar please is antithetical to the beast. Speaking of which,
talk to us about your 12 year old green Menghai.
Michael

Michael wrote:
> Speaking of which, talk to us about your 12 year old green Menghai.

Brewed in my beloved, leaky 5$ Yixing pot it´s mellow and complex, a
pretty dense, "round" and savory spectrum with sweet notes of algae and
warm spices, delicate flashes of clove, very dynamic through the
steeps, sweet and silky almost creamy lingering aftertaste.
What I almost like most about this tea is the lovely color it develops
after around the 3rd steep, a vibrating salmon pink that tends toward
indian red.
My personal #1 in my humble collection, complexitywise it will serve as
a kind of touchstone during my next trip to Yunnan.

Karsten [next candidate: 2006 bio-organic FF Darjeeling Pouchong]

4/11/
06

> Hello all,
>
> Does anyone know if steeping your tea directly in heated milk (i.e. no
> water involved in the process) will affect it's infusion? Will using
> milk only decrease the amount of "goodstuffs" (for lack of a better
> word... and knowledge) that's extracted from the tea leaves?
>
> Thanks.
>

Steeped in milky water was SOP in the villages in India where I hung out
during a portion of my ill spent youth. The tea, full of cinnimon (a word
God does not intend us to spell correctly) clove, cardimum (likewise), and
jagery (sugar). Yum yum yum. Just throw in the spices and, once you get it
right to your taste, you'll be in tea heaven. Don't even bother opening the
cardimum pods.

Michael