British Tea Culture
Tea is the second most popular beverage
in the world, after water...so why do we so rarely gather around and talk about it?
In our on-the-go culture, when we're actually around other people we're probably at our busiest, and when we actually have a moment to sit and enjoy ourselves, we're by ourselves.
But this incapacity for a traditional tea culture as it exists in many parts of Asia and England-where tea is so interwoven into their day-to-day lives that cricket scores are not analyzed from quarter to quarter, but from before "tea" and after "tea"-hasn't stopped us from incorporating the rejuvenating substance into other aspects of our lives.
American tea culture associates tea with waking up, clearing our throats and sinuses when we're sick, being a cheap drink (it's just the price of the bag, really) to keep our hands warm while we run around the city, being a natural energizer which helps burn more calories if drunk right before working out (no, seriously), or being infused into its own lattes for us to guzzle down in giant portions as though it were any other Starbuxian concoction.
American Tea CultureSo we rarely gather around and have a sip of tea, slowly and peacefully. This isn't the only drink in our culture whose consumption habits have changed over the years. I also rarely just sit back and have a beer with my friends. I would never have a glass of wine with dinner. I either don't drink alcohol at all, or I go all out with alcohol.
But tea, on some mornings, is exactly what I need to slow things down, enjoy the view outside of my epic window and just take it down a notch. Like this morning, when I happened to wake up early and thought "this would be the perfect morning for green tea". I had nowhere to rush to and nothing to finish last minute.
Though I may not seek out the traditional consumption of tea, sometimes, in our culture, I find the perfect moment to incorporate tea in in its most classic form into my day: calming, resounding, and peaceful.
How do you enjoy tea? What's your favorite kind of tea?
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Comments (30)
I like black, green, and spiced chai the most.
I like black and white tea because green tea gives me acid reflux...
I want sugar cubes with roses on them and little present cakes :(
I LOVE TEA!!! Full leaf green tea aka not in a tea bag. It cost a few dollars more than the bagged tea, but worth it.
I'm a tea lover, but have never tried starbucks tea.
Real indian chai (not the starbucks crap, the homemade stuff =) ) annnd green tea with a meal =)
I love tea. I'm English, and I can honestly say there's a big ideology here that there's nothing a cup of tea won't solve.
I've been drinking so much black tea since I had to give up coffee for a class on drugs and, honestly, I'm kind of sick of it. As much as I love chai and drinking peppermint tea with my grandmother, I would take a cup of coffee over it anytime. That's what I sit and enjoy the morning with.
Hot peppermint tea with honey is an EXCELLENT pick me up when you're feeling chilly, both mentally and/or physically. Chamomile-honey is very soothing for the stomach. And I like green tea when I'm doing work, haha.
Now daydreaming about a nice, slow morning with a cup of tea (and a good book) :)
fresh barley tea mm. <3
i enjoy a steeped tea, two sugars and milk. :)
Thai tea! I think I might have some soon because you said that. hahah.
i love tea, way better than coffee. i drink green tea, jasmine tea, jasmine green tea, black tea, oolong tea, pu chong (clear) tea in the morning at work. tea leaves are better than teabags.
It depends on the time of day. Mornings would be Irish Breakfast loose tea (if I don't have coffee) and Chai the rest of the day. I have gotten into drinking different kinds of Rooibos teas though.
i do enjoy tea. i drink it cold majority of the time but my SO always reminds me to drink it hot. i like leaf and i like the good ol' green tea.
Yorkshire.
Earl Grey was my first love. I had a brief dalliance with Tazo Chai because it was spicy, and I'm segueing into Tazo Zen (green) now, after a sad year when I tried a taste of my father's hardcore Asian green tea and declared that all green tea was disgusting. Thankfully, the dining commons at uni stock an array of Tazo teas and it's fairly easy to smuggle packets out.
Coincidentally, I just went out for high tea a few days ago (probably closer to "elaborate Americanised afternoon tea," though, since one of my UK friends took umbrage at the tea place's lack of tiny cakes - everything else was there, though! - sandwiches, fruit, pastries) and polished off two pots of Long Island Strawberry green tea. It was wonderfully fragrant (a patch of ripe strawberries in wintertime) but tasted like normal green tea infused with strawberries. Excellent.
my FAVE tea is full leaf jasmine green tea w/ a couple splashes of vanilla creme milk & some blended honey & brown sugar w/ a lemon wheel (as well as an ice cube or two to speed up the cooling process)
i have tea time, everyday, around 3 or whenever i return from school if later
i have it w/ my fam & we have casual discussions & simply relax & enjoy our surroundings. when weather permits, we have teatime on our patio, otherwise, in our breakfast nook; we'll have some tuna sammichs, a veggie platter, & a variety of scones & little cakes to accompany us. & i always enjoy my tea w/ a marlboro smooth 100 :) mmm...my fave time of day
but your post is very TRUE
i love green tea and ice lemon tea haha.
I love tea. Green tea with lemon, lemon herbal, chai, and fruity teas.
<3 tea! so awesome with scones and clotted cream
I like green tea only because it is said to increase metabolism. I like to enjoy my tea with breakfast.
I love tea, I come from a culture of tea consumers (russia), and my tea drinking rituals have only expanded with all the frills available here...all the flavors...all the world's tea consumer cultures available to explore!
mine is camomile, nettle and mint ! <3<3 I used to love green tea but somewhy I don't like it now...
yay for tea !