Hot tea has been a favorite of the public in Britain, Ireland and Europe, but perhaps most ardently in Ireland and England. As such, English and Irish breakfast tea have been widely consumed for many years, offering bold flavours that go rather well with a full English breakfast.
You see, Irish tea for breakfast time, and those like it need to offer a bold flavor in order to complement the big flavors you get from sausage, egg, bacon, beans and all those other breakfast goodies. What’s more, you get a nice caffeine kick to get your day started.
Other Things to Know About Irish Breakfast Tea
What does the term mean? What blends are used in teas that are labelled in this way? Well, Irish breakfast tea happens to be a basic blend of teas from far-flung locations like India, Africa and China.
Created using the CTC (Cut, Tear, Curl), a faster and stronger brew is created, offering a true full-bodied taste that’s unlike any other. Is there a big difference between English and Irish blends covering the same kind of tea? Actually, not really, but you will experience a slight difference in taste.
While they’re made in ostensibly similar ways, they do differ a bit when it comes to the ingredients found inside. Irish tea contains more Assam than English breakfast tea, meaning that the flavor profile it delivers is very strong – much like the malt whiskey the inhabitants of the Emerald Isle are famed for loving very much!
The presence of Assam in the Irish blend gives the beverage a red tint, as well as distinctly malty tones. Of course, unlike herbal teas, breakfast teas are typically consumed with milk.
Breakfast Tea Like This Isn’t Just For Breakfast
While the term breakfast tea suggests that the drink is solely consumed at the start of the day, it’s actually widely drunk by people across Britain, Ireland and wider Europe at any time of the day. It’s a bit of a misnomer, but one that people are happy to use…because, well, it’s just breakfast tea.
How popular is it in Ireland and Britain? It’s not uncommon for the Irish and English people to get through 5,6, or even 7 cups a day. You have to be careful about drinking the stuff too close to bedtime, however, but otherwise, it can get quite addictive, as it makes for a very effective mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Sampling the Delight That is Irish Breakfast Tea
As a staple for many people on the other side of the Atlantic, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone there who views it as a luxury, but the vast majority will drink it on a regular basis.
Having a chat with friends? Have a cup of tea! A business meeting just started? Have a cup of tea! Watching your favorite soap opera in the evening? Have another cup of tea! It’s woven into the culture over there, so you have to wonder why it’s so popular.
What we say to that is that you need to sample its delights to truly understand its appeal. Offering a spring in your step in the tastiest way possible, it should be somewhere on your bucket list.
