Tea was once a luxury – a wonderfully expensive Chinese herb drunk only by the rich. It was served in a silver teapot, and sipped daintily from fine china cups while nibbling at cucumber sandwiches, teacake, or extra-thin bread and butter. Instead of adding milk and sugar to their tea, ladies preferred to add fruit such as strawberries, oranges, lemons or limes and apples. Fruit tea is very good for you because it is made with China green tea, which is full of anti-oxidants.
(makes 4 cups)
1. Place half a slice of orange and lemon in each teacup, then a slice of strawberry and a slice of apple.
2. Fill the teapot with half the boiling water; leave for 5 minutes to warm the pot, pour it out, add the tea, then pour in the boiling water before the pot gets cold.
3. Put the lid on, let it steep for 2 minutes, then pour it into the cups. (Tip: the fruit will cook slightly in the sudden heat. If you think you’ll want a second cuppa add more hot water to the pot while you sip the first cup.)
Serve with cucumber sandwiches, bread and butter, or teacake.