Irish Questions I Have No Answer To
You know how I cover the Questions I’m Frequently Asked by Americans because I’m from Ireland and lived in America?
And I also cover questions that Irish KC receives via Search Engines (and more) - genuine fully typed out questions that tend to be more of the infrequent kind?
Well I do my best to answer all those, but sometimes I get Irish questions I have no answer for, and I am making no attempt to research. It may well indicate my ignorance, but that’s good in an age of transparency.
And here is my favourite such question from the last 3 months. Feel free to answer if you know yourself:
Q. What happened to the Irish goldfish?
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
I have a question - how do you take your tea? And do you have any recommendations for tea type/brand for those of us still in KC?
Erin,
At first in KC I bought Barry’s Classic Blend (Loose Leaves) which are available from Sheehan’s, Doherty & Sullivan’s, Browne’s or online through multiple sources - but as my consumption is so high that proved too expensive for me (I was going through 250 grams of loose leaves a week).
If Classic Blend is not available I’m happy with Gold Blend but not keen on dropping lower. These are Black teas.
For a couple of years I was surviving having that tea brought in for me my visitors - in packs of 10 or 12 - but when I lost a couple of shipments a year I lost that option.
For the last 3 years in KC I’ve drank pure Assam. Typically the top class Irish teas are a blend of Assam and East African teas, and in most shops pure Assam is an expensive tea because it is considered a gourmet food.
However in the Indian shops that sell to an Indian population they are priced very reasonably. I used to buy my Assam out on 105th in the Super India Emporium just to the west of Metcalf. For $6.99 I could buy something like 3 or 4 times the quantity of tea that the same money wold buy me if I was purchasing imported Barry’s tea from Ireland.
They have many brands there and I’ve tried a few, but ultimately settled happily on “Tea of Assam” and their Mamri tea.
How do I take it?
I make a pot, and let it draw under a cosy. I have a bad habit of letting it draw too long which means that you end up getting a load of tannin. The most important thing is to make it with boiling water - not boiled - so that the infusion can take place. The pot would be warmed before the leaves and boiling water are added - this is to ensure that the boiling water does not drop in temperature when it hits the cold pot thereby impairing the infusion. 15 minutes is plenty to let the pot draw.
I drink my tea with milk as do most people in Ireland and Britain who take tea. In my first week back in Ireland and England I’m already reminded that quite a few also take it sweetened with sugar.
The only other ways really are that the odd person will take it black - without milk. Half and half doesn’t exist. Cream is a no-no. Nobody touches lemons. Some people have switched to Green Tea which never has milk added, and a few people who take their tea sweetened are using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.
Assam, Darjeeling, Ceylon, or a quality Irish or English blend - there should be no reason to drink a tea that some ridiculous English Earl added perfume to. Loose leaves not bags. Boiling water. Keep warm. Wait. Take with milk.