When you put milk into infusing tea you lower the temperature of the water so a proper infusion can't take place. To get the best of your brew in a mug, always make the tea first to your taste and strength and the milk after.”
Based on the research conducted by Dr Stapley of Loughborough University, it has been confirmed that putting the milk in before the hot tea is the correct way to make a brew.
In a formal setting, milk is poured after the tea. You may have heard or read that milk precedes the tea into the cup but this is not the case. You do not put milk in before tea because then you cannot judge the strength of the tea by its color and aroma.
These early European cups were very fragile and valuable, and adding hot tea sometimes caused them to crack. Pouring a bit of cold milk to the cups first would temper the cup, and lower the temperature of the tea being added, thus protecting the teacups from cracking.
You may have a great dispute in mind but it's actually one you may not have thought of. It's 'add milk before tea, or add tea before milk'! Ask anyone that adds milk to their tea, and they will have a firm answer, and believe that their way is the best way.
Not only was adding milk seen as a means of cooling the tea down and improving on the bitterness of the beverage, it also prevented the boiling water from cracking the porcelain mugs.
Absolutely! You can add milk to any tea you want. Don't listen to tea snobs who tell you that milk and tea do not go together. The best teas in the world taste beautiful, no matter how you choose to prepare them.
In general, the British custom is to pour milk in your cup first, then tea. Whereas, the European custom is to pour the hot tea in first, then milk.
Adding milk in first was a way of separating the classes in a period when simple wealth was not enough. To minor aristocrats and their hangers on, such social distinctions were highly interesting.
Milk goes in before cereal is added to keep the cereal from getting soggy and—horror—keeps the milk free of soggy cereal crumbs.
So when someone says they can tell if you put the milk in first or second in the tea you've made for them just by tasting it, turns out they probably can. So that settles it then. Milk before water in tea.
Don't Let It Boil
Boiling is a sure way to curdle milk. It's not just boiling. Heating milk too quickly, even if it never comes to a boil, can also curdle it. To prevent the dairy from curdling, heat the milk gently over medium-low heat.
Bring water to a boil*, and pour over the tea as soon as it reaches boiling.
Milk and Coffee or Tea
On occasion, cold milk added to coffee or tea will curdle. This can be alarming as curdled milk is often seen as the same as spoiled milk. In this case, it can be half true. Coffee and tea are both slightly acidic, although usually not enough to curdle fresh milk.
Milk has a much stronger taste than water and its viscosity is also thicker making it harder for you to taste the actual tea.
Due to its high acidic content, it also reduces the effect of tea on the teeth. Drinking water also keeps the body hydrated and aids in the removal of pollutants.
Pop your cup with milk in the microwave for a few seconds before adding the coffee! Have a steam wand on your machine and fancy a classic milky coffee, like a latte or a cappuccino? You ideally want the milk somewhere between 60-70°C (140-160°F) - this is the optimum temperature to bring out milk's natural sweetness.
It should be added after coffee has been added to the cup. In case you are using instant coffee powder then, use a little amount of hot water to dilute the coffee powder along with some sugar. Then add hot milk and consume.
Here's their case: According to viral debates, milk goes in first before cereal is added in small amounts that keeps it from getting soggy and keeps the milk fresh. A poll shows most are cereal first, but milk first people are not alone, even without numbers on their side.
It became popular during British colonial rule when the British started importing tea. So while Hongkongers were already colossal tea drinkers, the art of tea drinking became even more popular during colonial rule. The Asian people put a twist to the British version by adding milk and sometimes sugar.
A massive 85% of British Earl Grey and English breakfast tea drinkers have their tea with milk. Brits are definitely in the minority here, with the next milkiest country being Sweden, where just 32% take their Earl Grey/English breakfast with milk.
Turns out, it's all to do with taxes. Tea was first brought to Britain in the early 17th century by the East India Company and was presented to King Charles II. His Portuguese wife, Princess Catherine of Braganza, set the trend in drinking tea, which then caught on among the aristocrats of the time.
The story of tea begins in China. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water.
The irony is that pouring cold milk into very hot tea allows the first amount of milk to absorb a lot of heat very quickly. This denatures the proteins in the milk and changes the flavour. It also changes the properties of the milk creating a skin on top of the tea.
First, your milk could be a bit on the old side, which would mean that your milk was already curdling on its own. The second option is that something in your tea is acidic, and is reacting with your milk, causing it to curdle. Some obvious offenders would be strong lemon teas, or other citrusy blends.