Why Are the British So Obsessed With Tea?
On July 4, 2024 by FlorenceBritish people having a love of tea might seem like a stereotype but it’s true! British people get through gallons of tea every year, with a massive industry and constant demand – where did the British desire for this particular hot beverage come from?
There can be no denying that a hot cup of tea suits the UK climate. With the weather so frequently overcast and dull, the popularity of hot drinks in our climate has long since been an acknowledged part of British life. As we have seen with coffee and with the hot chocolate rush of the 1800’s, so too has tea taken the UK by storm.
Where did it come from? This tradition of tea? Asides from the love of sharing gossip and offering each other comfortable warmth during the long winters, why do we rely so heavily on tea? The answers lie in the past…
The Long Association Between Britain and Tea
Coffee was popular amid the ruling classes in the UK from around 1500 onwards. It wasn’t until the Chinese drink of tea was imported in the 1600’s that it overtook coffee as the nation’s favourite drink.
Of course, the British did not invent tea. The Chinese had been drinking it for thousands of years by the time the Brits arrived on their shores. Tea was served as a stimulant to aid Buddhist meditation and came in green, white, black, or oolong varieties. Tea had a rich history of growing and harvesting tea leaves which had become an important aspect of Asian cuisine.
Legend holds that tea was the development of herbalist and Emperor Shen Nung in 2737 BC. The story goes that he was sitting under a tree waiting on his servant to boil water. A leaf from the tree fell into the water and thus created tea!
It was Dutch traders who first brought tea to Europe in the 1600s. Though it landed on British shores in 1650 something, it was a rarity which was only affordable to the upper classes. It was King Charles II’s wife Catherine of Braganza who brought tea into the royal courts. Around 1662, she moved from Portugal to become queen of the Brits, bringing her love for tea with her.
A Royal Beverage
In 1662, prior to their marriage, the new queen arrived in Britain in early May. Upon arrival, she pleaded with staff to bring her tea but since it was such a rarity in England back then, the staff substituted it with a small ale. Naturally unsatisfied, the future queen let her feelings be known.
By the time of their wedding on the 21st of May 1662, the queen’s relatives had heard of the hardship of Britain having no tea. They gifted Catherine a chest of tea amidst her wedding treasures. This gift was what began to change the tides in the royal court.
Why do the British put Milk in their Tea?
This question is so often asked by the rest of the globe that it bears a section dedicated all to itself. Why do the British put milk in their tea? Some schools of thought believe that putting milk in the tea prevented our poorly made clay cups from cracking under the heat of boiling water.
Another popular answer is that the Brits of old wanted to add nutritional benefits to the drink, and milk was beneficial since its creamy taste could cut through the tannins. Yet another theory is that adding milk lessens the staining on your teeth.
Of course, realistically, tea began as an upper class drink. If there was anything the British upper classes could do to make something posher, then they would.
The 19th Century Tea
By the 1800s, tea had become commonplace even to the working man. Although expensive, their was a strong trade for stolen tea on the smuggler’s market. At one point tea was so expensive that the tax was set to 119%! The tax on tea remained ridiculous until 1783, when the Prime Minister put it to a more sensible 12.5% (BBC). This move made the government a fortune since sales soon outperformed those prior to the lowering of the tax.
Modern Tea in Britain
The average weekly tea consumption per person in the UK in 2022 was 22 grams. An estimated third of Brits drink three or more cups of tea per day on a standard day. In fact, 20% of all UK tea drinkers admit to drinking as many as ten cups of tea per day!
And why not? Tea is hydrating, good for you, and offers a chance for a little warmth in a cold country. In modern Britain there are a thousand flavours of tea, with English Breakfast a staunch favourite. It is a custom to offer a guest tea in your home – reminiscent of the ancient Chinese tea customs of old.
Long may those traditions continue.
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