Making a standard cup of tea

Did you know there is an international standard for a cup of tea? In the wake of World Standards Day (14 October), Adeline Teoh investigates.

A pervasive form of clickbait I've noticed, particularly in the British tabloid media, is that of the Great British Tea Debate. The playbook goes a little like this: a piece of scientific or historic research suggests there is a codified way to make a cup of tea. An explosion of indignant and defensive comments ensues.

Whether it's a debate on milk-first or milk-after, a discussion on the difference between high, low and afternoon tea, or a tussle about which teas make up a traditional English Breakfast blend, the result is a superhighway's worth of traffic to the site. A cynical tea lover might see these debates as a profit-making venture for the media.

The issue, of course, is that the 'correct' way to make a cup of tea is entirely subjective and done to your own taste. Sure, if you want to steep leaves for 10 minutes and put milk after and only drink from stainless steel mugs then that's your preference and no one should argue with that being 'correct' in your view. But did you know there is a 'standard' cup of tea?

Since 1980, the International Organization for Standardization (commonly known as ISO for ironically non-standard reasons) has had a standard for making a cup of tea. 'ISO 3103: Tea—Preparation of liquor for use in sensory tests' is derived from the British Standards Institution guidelines and is revised every five years.

Among the recommendations are:

• Use of a white vessel made of porcelain or glazed earthenware (e.g. ceramic)
• A tea-to-water ratio of 2g per 100ml
• Freshly boiled water
• A six-minute steeping time
• If milk is used, it's at a milk-to-tea ratio of 2.5ml per 150ml, with tea poured on the milk, that is, milk-first

If you have 38 Swiss francs, you can purchase a copy of the full standard documentation or its sister standard, 'ISO 1839:1980 Tea—Sampling', which includes sampling from container of any size.

Why create a standard? It's largely for those in the industry to compare tea—from plantation to plantation, harvest to harvest—on a level playing field. If the tea is always prepared in a standard way, then parameters like differences in tea-to-water ratio, water temperature and brewing time won't change the test.

Of course, brands often have standards internal to their organisation and plantations and regions may have their own, but it's nice to know someone has actually thought about how to compare tea on an international level.

If you want to learn more about cupping, check out this YouTube tutorial by AUSTCS member Tania Stacey, who uses the Taiwanese standard.

(Below: Cupping tea by the International Tea Cuppers Club)

FAQs

What is a Volunteer Working Group? What's involved?

The main purpose of AUSTCS is to create a forum for the tea community to discuss how to advance tea culture in Australia and the main way we do that is through the formation of Volunteer Working Groups (VWGs), which create and run their own projects throughout the year. The groups cover three general areas: Culture, Education and Health & Wellbeing.

The groups are self-regulating, which means that although they check in with the AUSTCS directors, the official AUSTCS TEAm is not involved in everyday discussions or projects. Groups meet according to their own schedules and via a communication method that best suits the group, for example via the AUSTCS Forum, Facebook Group or conference call. The success of each group and its goals depends on members' commitment.

I am an AUSTCS member but haven't joined a Volunteer Working Group.
How do I join?

Below is a summary of the projects the various Volunteer Working Groups will be working on in the next 12 months. Get in contact with the AUSTCS liaison listed for the group/s you're interested in and they will put you in touch with the group.

I am not an AUSTCS member. How do I join a Volunteer Working Group?

You must first become a member of AUSTCS and then contact the AUSTCS liaison listed for the group/s you're interested, as indicated below.

Above: A tea farm in Victoria, one of the places an AUSTCS
Volunteer Working Group would like to tour. Photo: ITO En

Australian tea culture wants YOU

The AUSTCS Volunteer Working Groups depend on committed members to change and shape Australian tea culture into 2019 and beyond. How will you contribute?

Here is an overview of the Volunteer Working Groups formed at AUSTCS 2018. If you would like to join a group, please get in touch with the listed contact, who will introduce you to the group.

Education: Australian Tea Farm Tours

The group's aim is to develop relationships with Australian tea producers to arrange visits by AUSTCS members to their sites. The group will create respectful guidelines to be followed in collaboration with the producers. Contact: David Lyons

Education: HEIA Relationship

The Home Economics Institute of Australia is the peak professional body for home economics professionals in Australia, and includes teachers. The group's aim is to build a relationship with HEIA to raise awareness of leaf tea and its benefits with the longer-term goal to investigate the possibilities of teaching leaf tea service in classes and writing articles in the HEIA member magazine. Contact: David Lyons

Education: Multimedia and Web Education

This group's aim is to investigate and develop web and online educational content on leaf tea in conjunction with the revision of the AUSTCS website. Contact: James Lyons

Culture: Venue Drive

The group aims to improve tea service at venues by encouraging a public review process (e.g. Google Maps) to show that tea drinkers are actively looking for places to drink quality tea, served well. This may be a step towards developing an app or website that helps tea drinkers find recommended venues in their local area (e.g. Happy Cow for vegetarians). Contact: Adeline Teoh

Culture: Public Tea Events

The group's aim is to increase public awareness of quality tea through a range of accessible events including Canberra's Multicultural Festival. The group will also investigate other possible events throughout the coming year. Contact: Adeline Teoh

Health: AUSTCS-Endorsed Papers

The aim of this group is to source and/or develop well-researched, well-written articles on the general health aspects of tea in plain English. Contact: Adeline Teoh

Continuing from 2017...

Education: Royal Agricultural Society Fine Food Awards

After securing a distinct category for tea at the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania Fine Food Awards, this group is looking to hone the judging criteria as well as expand their reach to other states. Contact: David Lyons

Education: Certification for Tea

AUSTCS members Kristy Moorcroft has submitted a proposal to include leaf tea and its service as a module in Certificates I & II in Hospitality, which are tertiary qualifications presented by colleges and training institutions. AUSTCS awaits the outcome of her proposal. Contact: N/A

Upcoming events

22 October: Informal matcha whisking, Melbourne

23 October: Tea blending workshop, Brisbane

24 October: Tea and cheese pairing, Brisbane

28 October: Create your own tea blend, Melbourne

3 November: Matcha in the kitchen, Melbourne

9 November: Okei-san at Sister Cities Festival, Melbourne

Do you have an event to promote? Let events liaison Kym Cooper know!