LL-L "Delectables" 2006.05.12 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/index.php?page=rules
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================
A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

   L O W L A N D S - L * 12 May 2006 * Volume 02
=======================================================================

From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Delectables" 2006.05.09 (02) [D/E]

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Delectables
>
> Oftentimes, I find that only a cup of good British-style tea with sugar
> (or sweetener) and milk or cream hits the spot, is soothing, comforting. 
> Lately I discovered that Scottish breakfast tea is my favorite of that
> sort, closely followed by Yorkshire Gold.  I have a similar feeling with
> South Asian chai, which I brew myself on occasion, using (red and smooth)
> Ceylon tea with my own concoction of spices (with lots of cardamom) in
> milk.  I drink East Asian green tea when I'm in a "sophisticated" and
> "spiritual" mood and use my brain (which I do do on rare occasions), such
> as when doing some thinking and writing at a tea house or after
> meditation.
>
I never drank tea or coffee as a child but since I was 17 I've drunk an 
awful lot of strong coffee on a daily basis. Better not say how much, 
partly because I've never really counted and partly because people who 
know me well say that any normal person would find their heart racing if 
they drank a quarter of what I drink, not to mention being unable to 
sleep at night. I think it may be that I get away with it because I 
drink it black without sugar. The only time I've had the shakes from 
caffeine was when I drank four Red Bulls in a London club one night last 
year. This may be because I normally drink the sugar-free Red Bull but 
the club only had the sugary stuff.

I've recently moved over to drinking more tea, however - white without 
sugar. Strange how you come across something for the first time and then 
it keeps cropping up in other places: one of the people I shared a 
cottage with at Whitby this April was a fan of Yorkshire Gold - she 
bought a big box of it and I found it good enough to be pleased to be 
allowed to take it when the bought stuff was shared out at the end of 
the weekend.

In Scotland we have a routine for making tea in a pot. First we "beam" 
the teapot, which means rinsing it out with boiling water to warm it, 
then it's one teaspoon of tea per person and one extra ("one for the 
pot" as the English say). We then leave it to "mask" (brew, or "mash" as 
they say in some English dialects) until it's ready to pour - maybe two 
or three minutes.

Making tea for one with a teabag involves putting one teabag in the cup 
(though some people use mugs even for tea), pouring boining water over 
it and leaving it for about a minute, but not too much more than that. 
Some say that a good-quality teabag can be used twice, but that's a bit 
finicky and messy for me.

Although I take coffee black I find tea a bit harsh without a little 
milk - like the alum effect!

Blends like "Yorkshire", "Scottish" and "Welsh" teas are supposed to 
mean that the blends are suited to the water of that area. I'm 
sceptical, but it's true that a lot can be down to the quality of the 
water you use. Here in the south west of England the water is rather 
hard and I find that using a water filter improves the taste very 
noticeably.

Sandy Fleming
http://scotstext.org/

==============================END===================================
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at
  http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
======================================================================