Is that the kettle whistling? It’s time to celebrate our national treasure

Normally the organisers send out packs for us to host a tea party and raise money for a designated charity.

This year because we’re all socially isolating the idea is to have on line tea parties.

Tea is often the focal point of our social gatherings. No wedding, baptism or funeral would be complete without tea. No matter how bad things are this hot elixir will provide comfort. Like the majority of the population here, I was brought up in a house where the kettle was never cool.

Tea refers to the fermented leaves of the plant Camelia Sinensis and originated in south west China centuries ago during the Shang dynasty. It was initially used as a medicinal ingredient. Tea drinking dates back to the third century. During the Tang dynasty it became a popular drink and its reputation spread to other countries. Portuguese priests introduced it in Europe in the sixteenth century. It became fashionable in Britain in the seventeenth century and the British started large scale production of the plant in India. Now India and China supply over 60 per cent of the world’s tea.

Ireland is the second biggest, per capita, consumer of tea in the world. Most people here consider themselves experts in the brewing of a perfect “cuppa”. To master the perfect brew you should use tealeaves and not a bag. Leaf to water ratio should be 2-3g of tea leaves to 150ml of water. The water temperature for tea is vital – 80oc for black tea or 90oc for tea with milk. The hotter the water, the more tannic the tea. Boiling water is not ideal for tea – if you don’t have a temperature controlled kettle, add a little cold water to the pot. How long you leave the tea to stew is entirely up to you – 1 minute for a light infusion, 2 for strong and 3 for very strong.

Tea isn’t just for drinking, it also makes a flavoursome ingredient. My first recipe uses tea leaves to smoke beetroot. Mix tealeaves with Demerara sugar and rice to make a smoking medium. I’ve paired the smoked beetroot with whipped goat’s cheese and grilled steak. Once you’ve mastered the smoking technique you can apply it to fish, chicken, vegetables, even fruit.

Tea and cake go together like strawberries and cream. My other recipe this week uses Earl Grey tea in a cake with lemon. The tea itself is infused with bergamot lemon so it has a deliciously citrusy flavour to start off with. The cake is topped with a lemon icing and served with a prosecco syllabub. This is an old English recipe where cream was thickened with an acid and then sweetened. You can leave out the Prosecco or just use white wine.

You can support National Tea Day and its chosen charity by going to nationalteaday.co.uk.

If you’re interested in more recipes, with cooking videos to accompany them, go to tastecauseway.com

I think I can hear the kettle whistling...