Why are Brits so obsessed with tea?

One of the first things you'll be asked by most Brits is "Would you like a cup of tea?". Yes, they're rather fond of a "proper brew", which is what they call a nice cup of tea. It's a go-to solution for almost every scenario. Want an excuse to gossip with your friends? Invite them over for a cup of tea! Do you have a builder doing some work at your house? It would be offensive NOT to offer him a cuppa. Going through a personal drama? Yep, you guessed it! A cup of tea will make everyone feel better! It's not surprising that the UK goes through whopping 165 million cups of tea EVERY DAY. That is a lot of cup lifting... 

But how did they become one of the biggest tea-drinking nations per capita? Here are a few interesting moments in history that helped make tea a quintessentially British affair. 

British Love for Tea™ goes back to the mid-1660's when the British East India Company dominated the tea imported to Britain. They had constant and growing supply of tea, which was convenient as they had been reduced from the coffee-exporting Mediterranean during their wars with France and Spain at the time. Whilst their surrounding countries remained hooked on coffee, Britain became a tea-drinking nation. 

Tea hasn't always been the innocent drink we know and love today. During the 1700's increasing tea prices caused the rise in both tea smuggling and fake teas, which often used tea leaves mixed with other leaves and dyed. These lower-priced teas were sold to the working classes, which meant that tea, even if it wasn't the best qualiTEA (see what I did there?) was no longer just for the rich. 

AFTERNOON TEA, also known as LOW TEA due to the low tables it was served on, came around in about 1841 thanks to the very hungry tummy of one woman: Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford...

The woman, the Myth, the Legend...

... who took social convention into her own hands and begun enjoying a pot of tea and a light snack to satisfy that sinking feeling in the late afternoon. Before long, the afternoon tea became quite a social event. Queen Victoria, a friend of the Dutchess', formalised the afternoon tea with her Buckingham Palace tea receptions. 

Today, afternoon tea is enjoyed around 4 o'clock in the afternoon and is made out of a selection of finger sandwiches (no, not sandwiches made out of fingers, just a small ones), scones, pastries, and homemade cakes. CREAM TEA is a simpler version with scones, clotted cream, jam, and of course a pot of tea. 

Not to be mistaken for the afternoon tea, HIGH TEA was, in fact, a hot meal of meat pies, vegetables, and bread; eaten at the end of the day with a cup of tea by factory workers during the Industrial Revolution. It was called "high tea" due to the high tables it was served on (high tables mean regular-sized tables). Today, in many parts of the UK, the evening meal is often referred to as "tea", which can be a tad confusing if you're expecting sandwiches and a slice of cake. 

In the 1880's tea rooms became fashionable with women as respectable places they could go to meet their friends for a discreet chat and even to discuss politics. How unconventional! Eventually, tea rooms became an integral part of women's liberation movements. 

Tea was also used as a morale booster for the soldiers during the WW2, with the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, stating "the tea is more important than bullets". How British of him. 

Interestingly, 96% of tea consumed in Britain comes in the form of a teabag, which just so happens to be an American invention. During the early 1900's tea merchant Thomas Sullivan sent out tea samples in little sachets made out of silk to his clients. Americans were naturally enthusiastic about these newfangled super-convenient teabags, but those didn't catch on in Britain until the 1950's, but boy, do they love them now!

Dowager Countess of Grantham is not impressed by your life choices...

Nowadays, most Brits drink their tea with milk, but how much milk is the Right Amound™ is a matter for a national debate and it evokes very strong emotions among the people. 

So there you are! Just a few examples of how tea became a part of British culture and society! Now, with all this talk of tea, I bet you're wondering how to make a proper cup of tea according to the British. Thanks to the Internet, now you can find out and maybe try it yourself and impress your friends and family with your A+ mad tea-making skills! Good luck and Bon Appetit!