Your ViewsKeep your e-mails pouring in, it's good to know that there are lots of you out there with views and opinions. To help you work out what is what, are now little icons to help you see biscuit related themes. And now you can see at a glance which are the most contested subjects via this graph (requires Flash 6.0 plugin). Please keep your mails coming in to nicey@nicecupofteaandasitdown.com | If you like, you can use this search thingy to find stuff that matches with any of the icons you pick, or use the fantastic free text search, Yay! | Your e-Mails |
Sharon Matthews |
Hi Nicey
my collegues and i would like to know what the maximum dunking time is for a Rich Tea biscuit.
As you know it is very frustrating when you lose half the biscuit in your cuppa making it undrinkable
We have tried doubling up the biscuits but this just causes more soggy biscuit problems
Maybe we could all start a campaign for suggested Dunking times to be written on ALL packets of biscuits, not just Rich Tea.
Let me know what you think and if you could answer the original query we would be very grateful.
sharon (manchester) |
Nicey replies: If only it were that simple, however the temperature of the tea is a vital factor, and so guidelines would have to be given for piping hot tea, hot tea, warm tea, barely warm tea and stone cold tea.
I really must do a dunking icon tomorrow. |
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Michael Barker |
Hi again...
I read a mail from Carley about her ex-boyfriend's cups of tea. I've heard this before and am a little sceptical that it makes much difference when milk is added, but it is suggested that you can scald the milk if you add it to hot water. I really doubt that the sugar plays much of a role in the flavour difference.
Perhaps you already know, the BSI considered "tea making" worthy of study and won the 1999 Ignoble prize for litereature for their "BS 6008:1980, ISO 3103-1980 Method for preparation of a liquor of tea for use in sensory tests - Procedures for preparation with or without milk.", sadly I have not read it, I consider £11 a bit steep for a six page document... as that buys roughly 10 packs of lovely biccies!
So what is the difference between adding milk first or last...?
CASE 1: Milk first
A 200 ml cup is pre-loaded with 20 ml milk from the fridge, the cup will bring the milk to room temperature.
20 ml of boiling water is added, so then you might think that the average temperature of the 40 ml of liquid would be 60°C, this is unlikely to be the case as the cup itself will be a nice sink for some of the heat, and this is a non-adiabatic system as it's cooling to the air all the time, I'd guess that the maximum temperature after 1 sec is no more than 40°C.
The temperature of the milk then will rise smoothly to 80-90°C as you pour the rest of the water into the cup.
CASE 2: Milk last
first pour in the boiling water, so you have a cup of black tea sitting at 95°C
Then add the cold milk, the milk will cool the tea a little, but the milk itself will go through a very rapid increase in temperature.
If the milk comes straight from your fridge it might start at 4°C, when added to the cup, it will reach something like 80-90°C after just 1 sec, hence the term "scald".
As to the chemical effect of scalding the milk, and what compounds give the funny taste, I've no idea!
Any dairy scientists out there? I'd hazard a guess that it would depend strongly on the thermochemical properties of the milk,
and therefore what type you use e.g. skimmed milk is very easy to burn, UHT has already been "burnt" etc. etc.
It's more likely that Carley's ex-boyfriend could tast the difference in the type of milk used.
My own method is to add the milk first, but that's only so I can put the milk back in the fridge whilst waiting for the water to boil.
Cheers,
Michael.
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Andrew Zwinkels |
Dear Nicey,
I have a colleague who disagrees with me on what should be a very clear subject. I was hoping you and your crack team of biscuit related matter gurus could help out.
My colleague believes whole heartedly the humble Kit Kat is a biscuit rather than a chocolate bar. Surely he is mistaken or possessed.
Please clarify and allow the turmoil to cease. |
Nicey replies: Nestle themselves are deliberately evasive on this whole area. As I have said before I consider the KitKat a transitional form right on the boundary between chocolate bar and biscuit, sort of the Archaeopteryx of the biscuit/chocolate world. |
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Ruth Vishnick
Digestive Review |
Love your website - but when drinking tea one must just use leaf tea, a china pot (preferably a Brown Betty) and tea strainer. Also one must use the best bone china tea cups with handle facing east and stir clockwise with silver teaspoon.
I love a good cuppa with a nice crisp digestive (only McVities will do), and not dunked. This is the best comfort food and was used by my mum and now by myself to solve all manner of problems.
All the best, Ruthie |
Nicey replies: Possibly crossed some sort of line here between the particular and the quite scary.
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Sara Lea |
Hello
I know this doesn't go with a nice strong cup a tea, but do you know where I could get tinned whole corn on the cob (not the kernals). Years ago (20) I used to be able to get them at Londis - they came four in a tin. They are so yummy, perhaps once you found where you could get them you could set up a supply chain (just a thought/incentive).
Kind regards. Sara Lea |
Nicey replies: Righty Ho. |
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