Fill two heavy ceramic mugs with hot tap water and let them sit while you brew. Gently warm the evaporated milk in a small pan or the microwave until steaming but not simmering, about 30 seconds in the microwave. Cold milk will drop the temperature of the tea and mute its aroma.

Bring the water to a full boil in a small saucepan. Add the Ceylon and Assam leaves, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 4 minutes. The liquid should turn a deep, dark reddish-brown, almost the color of strong coffee.

Turn off the heat, cover, and steep 3 more minutes. Longer steeping adds body but also bitterness, so stop at 7 minutes total. You should have about 2 cups (480 ml) of tea once the leaves have absorbed some water.

Pour the tea through a very fine mesh strainer or a clean cotton or muslin cloth into a second pot or pitcher. Then pour it back and forth between the two pots 3 or 4 times from a modest height. This aerates the tea and mellows its edge, giving it that characteristic silky feel.

Stir the sugar and salt into the hot tea until dissolved. Add the warm evaporated milk and stir once. Taste, and add more sugar if you like a sweeter cup. Empty the mugs, pour in the tea, and serve right away. Rebecca's Tip: Add the milk after straining, never before. Milk proteins bind to tannins and dull the tea's flavor, so you lose that bold, malty backbone. If your tea tastes thin, use more leaves instead of steeping longer, because extra time only brings out harshness.