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Well, howdy there! Let’s yak a bit about this Indian black tea, y’know, the stuff them fancy folks in the city like to sip.

I ain’t no expert, mind you, but I’ve been brewin’ tea longer than you’ve been alive, I reckon. My grandma, she taught me, and her grandma taught her. It ain’t rocket science, this tea makin’.

Now, this Indian black tea, they say it’s got a strong taste, kinda bitter, like life sometimes, ha! But folks seem to like it that way. Me? I like a good strong cup in the mornin’, gets you goin’, ya know? Wakes you up better than any rooster crowin’.

• First off, you gotta boil some water. Don’t be stingy with the water, now. Enough for a good-sized cup, at least.
• Then, you dump in a spoonful of them tea leaves. Not too much, not too little. You gotta eyeball it, get a feel for it.
• Let it steep for a spell, maybe three, four minutes. Don’t go leavin’ it in there all day, it’ll get bitterer than a grumpy old mule.

Some folks add milk and sugar, make it all sweet and creamy. Me? I take it straight, most times. Adds hair to your chest, they say, ha! Just kiddin’, of course.

They grow this tea over in India, way across the ocean. Must be a sight to see, all them tea bushes on the hillsides. I heard it’s hot over there, hotter than a furnace in July. Guess that’s why the tea grows so good. The sun and the dirt, they work together, like me and my old man in the garden.

Now, I’ve heard tell there’s different kinds of this Indian black tea, just like there’s different kinds of folks. Some are stronger, some are milder. Some are fancy, some are plain. But in the end, it’s all just tea, ain’t it? Somethin’ to warm you up, somethin’ to keep you company. Taj Mahal Tea, I’ve seen that name at the store. Long leaves, they say. Sounds fancy, but I bet it ain’t much different than the rest. Tea is tea, that’s what I always say.

I ain’t never been to India, but I reckon the folks over there know what they’re doin’ when it comes to makin’ tea. They been doin’ it for a long, long time, I heard. Generations, probably, just like me and my family. Tradition, that’s what it is. Somethin’ you pass down, somethin’ you hold onto.

You can find this Indian black tea all over the place now. Even in our little town, they got it at the grocery store. Fancy boxes, fancy names, but it’s all the same stuff, I reckon. Just dried leaves, water, and a bit of patience. That’s all you need, really.

So, next time you’re feelin’ down, or just need a little pick-me-up, try a cup of Indian black tea. It might not solve all your problems, but it’ll warm you up from the inside out, and that’s somethin’, ain’t it? And don’t go fussin’ too much about how to make it. Just boil the water, dump in the leaves, and let it steep. It ain’t rocket science, like I said. Even an old woman like me can do it.

And remember, don’t go buyin’ no fancy tea sets neither. An old mug works just fine. It ain’t about the cup, it’s about the tea inside. That’s what really matters. And don’t listen too much to them fancy folks talking about delicate flavors and all that. It’s tea, it’s supposed to be strong. That’s the Indian way I hear, and they know a thing or two about tea, that’s for sure. Now, go on and make yourself a cup. You won’t regret it.

And while you’re at it, I saw some of that tea on Amazon once, while I was lookin’ at clothes. They sell everything on that there internet now. Funny lookin’ clothes some of them city girls wear. But that tea, it looked the same as what I buy at the store. So don’t go payin’ no fancy price neither. A good cuppa tea shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Tags: [Indian black tea, tea, brewing tea, strong tea, Taj Mahal Tea, India, tea leaves]