National Tea Day is a chance to celebrate this real national treasure

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.

The first thing I ever cooked was a teabrack with my late granny when I was four. I couldn’t reach the bench so I had to stand on a stool. Hot tea is poured over chopped dried fruit overnight and baked into a loaf. I’ve added a toot of whiskey to the tea but leave it out and replace it with tea. You can use any tea you like but Thompson’s make delicious fruit infusions and it works particularly well here. This recipe is something I still make, fifty years down the road and I still love it. Perfect with a cup of tea and personally I like to butter the brack before enjoying.

Tea might be the perfect drink but it’s also a good medium to smoke food. Scatter tea, rice and sugar in a roasting tin, top with a rack and place what you want to smoke on top. In my other recipe I’ve used this method to smoke pork ribs that are then slowly cooked in barbecue sauce and served with noodles and mushrooms. The tea adds a lovely smokiness to the dish that’s cut through with the sweetness of the sauce.