I love earl grey tea.

I love it so much that I even carry an emergency tea bag of it in my handbag, just in case I find myself in somebody’s house where the only cuppa on offer is builder’s.

I don’t just drink earl grey though: I love green tea and chinese tea too (pu-er is my fave) but I prefer them with food; sushi or dim sum without Japanese or jasmine tea respectively just doesn’t taste right. But if we are talking about a standalone cup of cha, it has to be earl with cold, semi-skimmed – hi-lo if you live in Singapore – milk.

I’m not too much of a snob about the quality of my earl grey (which may come as a surprise as I seem to be writing an entire post on it). The Twinings’ bags of it that are sold in every single English supermarket back in blighty are fine. However, I am most miffed to note that the same brand over here produces a very disappointingly weak and insipid cup of nothingness.

So what’s a girl to do? Luckily I know another SG based EG freak who has kindly introduced me to French Earl Grey from the Singapore tea company TWG. Beautifully packaged if you buy it in the tin tea caddy – or a fraction of the price if you buy it loose and bagged – it is the real thing, with some beautifully scented lavender thrown into the mix.  Sadly though as it’s loose leaf, it comes with all the hassle and faff of having to mess about with tea strainers which I simply don’t have the patience for.

However, Cold Storage, as well as almost any other Singapore supermarket, to the rescue: they all, very helpfully, sell empty tea bags.  After a well delegated 30 minutes of stuffing, you’re all set and miserable tea is but a weak and distant memory.