The tea gardens of England gave birth to tipping as a response to prompt service. A small wooden box inscribed with TIPS, short for 'To Insure Prompt Service' was place on each table. A coin dropped in the box usually improved the speed and quality of service. And thus the custom of tipping was born.

The British custom of drinking tea with milk has its roots not in taste but economics. The long journey from the Orient made tea prohibitively expensive. Milk, on the other hand, was cheap and became the condiment of choice among the lower classes. The amount of it added became a telltale of one's social standing. The wealthy took their tea undiluted.

The middle class poured the expensive tea and then diluted it with milk. The lower class filled the cup with cheap milk and then added a splash of the costly tea.

To make That Perfect Cup Making loose tea is only slightly more demanding that making tea from a tea bag. But the huge difference in taste makes it well worth it. Begin with quality loose tea of your choice. Use a full tea-spoon of tea for each cup (slightly more for lighter flavors).

Bring fresh drawn cold water to a boil. If making green tea, allow water to cool down for a few minutes since green teas taste best when brewed in cooler water. Optimal brewing time depends on the type of tea selected. Most green teas are ready in 3 minutes and black teas in 4-5 minutes.

Classic teas may require 7 minutes for the large leaves to unfurl and infuse. Strain the tea . Allowing the leaves to remain in the pot will cause tea to become too strong and taste bitter. Mix the tea with milk and sit back and sip