There really shouldn’t be an art to making a good cup of tea, but alas, this is where we find ourselves. I know we’re in Australia, and we don’t have half the tea culture of some other cultures, but…come ON. We’re not talking about lobster carbonara here. This isn’t a delicate operation where adding the ingredient at the wrong time leads to total culinary failure. Bag + hot water = brew. Good grief.
It’s getting to the point where I think this stuff needs to be taught in schools. Or really, anywhere children gather. I take mine down to the local indoor play centre in Bundoora, and while it’s great that they’re climbing and getting all their energy out, I’d also like to see culinary lessons. The very basics, obviously, but that’s not to say the basics aren’t important. If schools aren’t going to teach kids how to make tea, cook al dente spaghetti or brown chicken without burning it to a crisp, then who? Parents are stressed out enough as it is without all that stuff added on. I’m just saying, we take our kids to a play centre to stimulate them, both physically and intellectually. They learn maths and science at school, so a bit of food technology wouldn’t go awry. Maybe there can be classes atop the gigantic, castle-shaped climbing frame. That would add in an element of adventure.
And then I had the idea of a cookery *party*. All you’d have to do is frame the whole thing as fun and interactive, and you could have a whole party where kids have a good time AND learn the basics, so they can at least cook for themselves in later life. Or, potentially, if I ask my daughter to make me a cup of tea, she can do it…properly. Just saying, if there was a kids party venue close to Melbourne that offered such a service, people would be ALL over it.
-Janine