Billy Tea

To say that Tea is an important part of the Australian culture is like saying that the Universe is kind of big. Everything begins, and ends, with a "cuppa" to the point where sometimes I wonder if I'm going to dissolve. That said, I like a good cup of tea. Not just for the tea itself, but the whole ritual. One such tea ritual that is part of our cultural heritage, is that of making "billy tea", perfected by the various swaggies (essentially travellers of "no fixed abode") that used to roam the country looking for work, and camping by the sides of billabongs and such. A billy is essentially a tin-can with a handle. My Dad, no doubt proud to have a homeless son, fashioned us a billy out of a can he found in his workshop and gave me fatherly advice as to the proper technique of preparing the billy tea. Bring the water to the boil first, then add a tea-spoon of tea for each cup, and an extra one for the pot. Add the sugar. Bring back to the boil for a few minutes. Then (preferably outside the kombi van), the billy is swung rapidly in giant circles to settle the tea. Apart from being a lot of fun, the tea actually tastes really good.