The 'Char': Strong Tea with Condensed Milk
A very strong black tea, sweetened with sweetened condensed milk and a little sugar. Hot, comforting, slightly bitter beneath the sweetness: the liquid institution of the British army, and the avowed 'vice' of a man who had no other.
A very strong black tea, sweetened with sweetened condensed milk and a little sugar. Hot, comforting, slightly bitter beneath the sweetness: the liquid institution of the British army, and the avowed 'vice' of a man who had no other.
I'm often reproached for not touching alcohol; well, here is my only weakness, and I own it fully. A black tea, steeped until it's almost bitter, a dash of condensed milk, a little sugar, and boiling — always boiling. In the desert, my men would burn sand soaked in petrol in a slit tin to brew it; nothing stopped them. Drink it like this: it is the drink of an army that fears nothing.
- •Loose black tea — generously (base)
- •Water — one large cup (infusion)
- •Sweetened condensed milk — a good splash (sweetness and binding)
- •Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
The 'Char': Strong Tea with Condensed Milk
A very strong black tea, sweetened with sweetened condensed milk and a little sugar. Hot, comforting, slightly bitter beneath the sweetness: the liquid institution of the British army, and the avowed 'vice' of a man who had no other.
Why this dish? Strictly abstinent, Montgomery drank neither wine nor whisky where so many officers did. Tea — strong, sweet, with condensed milk — was his drink, and that of the entire British army. The brew-up punctuated field days from El Alamein to Normandy: for him, it was the only permitted stimulant.
I'm often reproached for not touching alcohol; well, here is my only weakness, and I own it fully. A black tea, steeped until it's almost bitter, a dash of condensed milk, a little sugar, and boiling — always boiling. In the desert, my men would burn sand soaked in petrol in a slit tin to brew it; nothing stopped them. Drink it like this: it is the drink of an army that fears nothing.
Ingredients (period version)
- Loose black tea — generously (base)
- Water — one large cup (infusion)
- Sweetened condensed milk — a good splash (sweetness and binding)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
Ingredients
- Strong black tea (Assam or English Breakfast) — 1 well-filled teabag or 1 tsp loose (base)
- Boiling water — 250 ml (infusion)
- Sweetened condensed milk — 1 to 2 teaspoons (sweetness and binding)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
Method
- Bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Steep the tea strongly for 4 to 5 minutes until very dark.
- Remove the tea, then stir in the sweetened condensed milk.
- Adjust with a little sugar if needed.
- Serve scalding hot in a metal mug or a large cup.
How it was made : Tea was considered strategic: the British government bought up entire stocks as early as 1939. At the front, the lack of fresh milk led to tinned condensed milk, which was more stable. The brew-up — lighting a makeshift fire to boil water — was a near-sacred ritual, to the point that tank crews would sometimes stop mid-advance to 'put the water on'.
The contemporary twist : Serve it iced in summer, shaken with ice cubes: a 'desert iced tea' with condensed milk, a nod to the Egyptian Sahara.
Sources : Norman Longmate, *How We Lived Then* (1971) · Imperial War Museum, history of tea and Second World War rations
Bernard Montgomery · Charactorium
