What can I do with my tea stewers?
I am in Bangladesh where I have an office. The locals insist on stewing tea. When we were in a previous location they boiled the water with the leaves from cold on a gas stove for fifteen minutes. The SOP is to then add piles of condensed milk.
Now we moved to an office with no gas. There was a near riot when I told them they had to prepare tea properly and not stew it i.e. boil the water then pour it into a pot containing tea leaves. I could only calm the rebellion by allowing them to put the tea leaves in the kettle and boil from there. Now I see they want to hold down the “on” switch to keep the tea party at maximum “revs”.
I just managed to persuade them to boil the concoction once, let it sit, and then hit the “on” switch to heat it all up once more prior to mixing with condensed milk.
Is there anything from the science of tea that can give them the flavor they want without ruining my kettle?
BTW, the girls don’t like “English” style toilets and have had to be persuaded to stop going on the floor instead. That took me a week. Imagine what Clive of India had to put up with.
Stewed tea is the traditional (and yummiest!) way of preparing masala chai. I suggest that you supply your employees with a pot and a small travel stove or burner.
I further suggest that in future posts you make a greater effort not to sound like a condescending racist jerk.
I’m not sure if this was intentional, but from your post you kind of come across as condescending to your Indian colleagues. You have to recognize that things like how they brew their tea are a part of their culture, and perhaps instead of having them adapt to how you want thing be, you just buy them a cheaper model of hotplate so they can brew their tea the same way they’ve probably been drinking it since childhood.
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