‘Bridgerton’ did justice to Indian tea and I feel so alive

In the Bridgerton Season 2 premiere, Kate Sharma says that she hates English tea.

Fans weren't sure how the characters would play into the series with the debut of Kate and Edwina. The people of color are prominently positioned in 19th-century London high society, right up to Queen Charlotte. Is it possible that the Sharmas would be explicitly Indian? Did they arrive recently or were they raised in England? Does colonialism still exist?

The season premiere answers some of the questions that have been posed, such as the fact that Lady Mary moved years ago after falling in love with an Indian man. Kate never misses home as much as she does during tea time, and the Sharmas return to London society to find a match for young Edwina, and regain the favor of Mary's parents.

Via Giphy

English tea is considered a bastardization of Indian tea. Black tea leaves such as Darjeeling, pekoe, Assam, and Ceylon are crammed into tea bags, which are steeped in hot water and personalized with cold milk and sugar.

Indian tea is an art form. Water is usually boiled with ginger and cardamom, but sometimes cloves, cinnamon, and more, as well as loose tea and milk. It is cooked for as long as necessary to blend the spices and achieve the right color and consistency. Please do help.

In the third episode of Bridgerton Season 2, we see Kate trying to make do with less than she needs by crushing the cardamom in her teacup to make it taste better. It's easy to overlook if she does this right at the tea table. The look on her face as she sips tea is amazing.

Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

I don't like English tea. It's easy to make and can hit the spot in a pinch, but my office doesn't have a stove. My mom uses leaf tea instead of English tea to get the perfect brew.

Every time my mother and I visit our English relatives, we are bombarded with over-steeped and under-flavored tea, which is what Kate is experiencing. Tea is taken after every meal by English people. I am unable to refuse tea, so it is common for me to be on my sixth cup of the day, fully not enjoying myself, and unable to even recognize let alone voice the concern.

I don't drink as much Indian tea because it's so much work. Maybe Bridgerton's English viewers will take a step back, reflect on their sins, or start a campaign to return the Koh-i-noor to its rightful home. Maybe no one cares about this. I will brew my cup and watch Bridgerton feel a bit more at peace.

The second season of Bridgerton is now available to watch.