Making billy tea, New Zealand bush style

To make “billy tea” is really just making a cup of tea not in a teapot or with a tea bag, but in a pot, and traditionally the pot has a wire handle so it can be hung over a fire, and is called a billy. And be assured if you travel New Zealand lots you’ll not only sample the clean New Zealand air, but there’ll be lots of opportunities and offers to “have a brew” along the way, or you may find some might say “cuppa time?”

Two of my mountain craft mentors, the late Dave Caswell and Dave McNulty

The term billy or billycan may have been adopted in association with the Australian outback, but apparently it was also used in the UK and Ireland and was derived from the large cans used for transporting bouilli or bully beef on Australia-bound ships or during exploration of the outback.

And of course Banjo Paterson’s references to the billy is noted in the first verse and chorus of Waltzing Matilda: “And he sang as he watched and waited ’til his billy boiled…”

courtesy http://en.wikipedia.org/

However in my memory as a kid in New Zealand we used to make them out of these sort of tins, which if I recall were used for peaches etc. It was a simple matter to punch a hole with a 4 inch nail in opposing sides of the top and use lacing wire [thin pliable wire used in fencing on farms] to create a handle.

In the above photo the fire is a bit too big for a simple boil up, and although it’s not obvious the billy is swung some way away and is keeping warm in the reflected heat.

There are quite a few theories as to how the tea is steeped or brewed, but I’ll stick to what I’ve found works best:

• A small fire that can be controlled easily by the timely addition of fuel [usually wood].
• The billy is suspended either from a wire hook as you’d find in a hut with an open fireplace, or the handle has a piece of wood threaded through it as per the top most picture [green is best so it won't catch fire easily].
• Boil up the appropriate amount of water – fresh oxygenated if possible. It’ll boil more more quickly with a lid on, but on an open fire I’ve tended to leave it off. This will allow a small amount of wood smoke to flavour it, but this is the secondary reason.
• When the water is boiling gaily pour loose dry tea leaves into your hand. A rule of thumb is one teaspoon for each person and one for the pot. However you’re presumably in a hut for the night because it’s taken some strenuous exercise to get there, e.g tramping or hunting, so have more water in the billy than you think you need, and throw in extra tea leaves for that extra cup.
• And I do mean literally “throw”! Hence the lid being off. It’s going to be hot in the fireplace so the leaves in the dry palm of the hand is the perfect way to do this safely.
• Wait about 20 seconds and lift the billy off. Very carefully – you don’t want to spill it on your foot! Usually nearly always a stout stick will be needed to reach in, placing it under the wire handle then lifting.
• Place it in a safe place where it gets just enough heat from the fire to keep it warm. At this point if you shine a torch in you’ll see the leaves floating on the surface.
• Place the lid on and after about as minute get a stick and robustly tap the sides of the billy a few times – this encourages the leaves to sink.
• Let it brew for 5 minutes then pour – you can use another cup to ladle it into the other cups, but it’s more common to use the wire handle, and protecting the tipping hand with a dish cloth [or sock!] pour it out. Watch too any steam that rises misses your hand! It’s also thought to be best if you have milk [mixed powder] in the cup prior to pouring.

There is a theory that when the leaves are in and floating you take the billy and swing it in an arc a few times, the centrifugal force keeping the water in. This is a foolish and dangerous practice that is not even necessary.

Note should you spill the boiling water on your foot, then get it in cold water as soon as possible. Be aware too that if wearing boots that water that goes in the boot will, thanks to the woollen sock, hold it’s heat, and literally cook your foot. So speed is of the essence, and I mean speed!

Lastly enjoy your brew, and indulge… gaze into the fire, or if it’s gone out then a candle will suffice to bring out your peaceful primal side. There is something very meditative about gazing into a flame!

Tags: Australian outback, Banjo Paterson, billy tea, caption, cup, Dave Caswell, foot, New Zealand, Place, Waltzing Matilda, water, wood

This entry was posted on January 11, 2012 at 6:27 am and is filed under Cooking, Culture, History, Right Column, SlideShow. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.