In George Orwell’s “A Nice Cup of Tea”, he visits the topics of tradition, taste, perspective, craft, and art. He discusses tea as if describing the creation of a fine oil painting. He lists the tools as if any others would be preposterous and judges additions to the tea that he finds contradicting to the true flavor. He shames sugar but values milk, making his arrogance a severe presence throughout the reading. If one does not abide by his standards they are not a true tea-lover. His rules are ridiculous, and would be somewhat impossible to abide by for each and every cup of tea due to his intricate steps and personalized values. Personally, I rarely drink tea, but when I do it is always during the winter and at night. For someone like me who can enjoy a cup occasionally, following his standards seem impossible as well as unappealing. The seemingly intricate steps he has given surprisingly do not cover all of the bases. What about honey? I refuse to put sugar or milk in my tea but honey is always welcome. If I were to be as in love with the art of tea as he is, my guide would shame what he calls acceptable. I overall believe that he cannot give a truly perfect recipe for tea because each culture and each individual has their own commandments to follow.
I really like your comment on honey. Honey is used to sweeten tea, of course, which Orwell may not approve of. But honey is medicinal in that we put it in tea to soothe sore throats. What would Orwell make of that? Would he accept honey in his tea if he had a cold?
I also like how you pointed out that Orwell turns making tea into an art similar to the creation of an oil painting. That’s a wonderfully apt description.