In Tammy's latest episode the contentious issue of tea has raised it's ugly head.

This is something we Brits, quite rightly, try not to expose to the world. However the vitriol has been raised to a level in the comments that needs some explanation to our non UK members.

Preparing a cuppa in the UK has historical and regional terminologies, antecedents and traditions that rivals the Japanese Cha-no-yu ceremony.

First is the dreaded argument of 'bags or loose leaves'? The battle between purists hankering after the 'good old days' when "we ad nowt but paper sack in't middle o' road" and the modernists arguing over time management studies and 'efficiency' dates from the 1950's and still lingers in many corners of the country.

Next is the correct temperature of the water. Prior to 1940 no one would dream of using boiling water. However, following an advertising campaign by the government to allow tea producers to use more of the leaf than just the tender tips, some people have got into the habit of pouring boiling water straight from the kettle!! onto the leaves, and persist in this unsavoury practice to this day.

Third is the question...'to scald or not to scald' the teapot before inserting the leaves/bags. This is a question of taste and upbringing (and also how thick walled your teapot is... generally if your teapot is a heavy earthenware example that can be used as an offensive weapon you will need to scald it, if it's your Sunday best teapot decorated with hand painted dog roses probably not).

Next, how long between adding the water and serving the beverage. Do you want tea weaker than 'gnats piss' (this is a technical term) as preferred by Lady Professor Catherine Cameron, or would you prefer your tea the 'colour of a builder’s boot' (dark orange/brown, also a technical term).

The vocabulary relating to this process is largely regional. If you grew up east of the Pennines (Yorkshire etc.) you will 'mash' your tea. If west of the Pennines (Liverpool/Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire) you will 'brew' your tea; both are largely acceptable in polite society; only pretentious hipsters in Brighton/Norwich/Shoreditch, and ageing hippies experimenting with interesting varietals with psychotropic recreational uses, still refer to 'steeping the leaves'.

Finally, the most dangerous question of all... Do you MIF? Putting milk in first in many circles will put you so far beyond the pale that no member of 'The Ton' will ever speak to you again. Indeed, by doing so, you will have relegated your entire family to a level of social isolation equal to your passing wind in front of a member of the royal family. I won't even discuss the issue of using lemons. I'm aware that Russians and others on the Continent follow this practice but... well, they are 'Continentals' and Russians, and my mother brought me up that 'if I couldn't find something nice to say, say nothing'.

The issue of sugar and its addition to one’s beverage I will leave to the numerous books on the etiquette of tea consumption. Personally, I was never able to fit a box of sugar lumps and the requisite tongs in my webbing on operations (the cavalry regiments used to sneer at us for having to use a teaspoon), however I am quite forgiving of those who still use tongs (although I still shudder at the thought of people adding unrefined, or ‘brown’ sugar to their tea).

Given the extremely contentious nature of everything covered above, I hope you now understand why we Brits tend to talk about the weather; discussing Tea is more dangerous than arguing over politics, sport or religion. We may buy from Starbucks but we believe in tea.