english breakfast tea
18 March, 2021 | Bon Tea Cafe Updated 2021

English Breakfast Tea: Origin, Taste & Choosing The Right One

Restorative and pleasing to the taste, the flavor of English breakfast tea is more robust and more potent than green tea. Many tea lovers that love the English breakfast drink commend that its rich flavor makes you highly alert in the morning. 

Depending on who makes the tea, it can be slightly bitter, malty, or sweet. Excellent English breakfast tea is strong enough to take on milk and sugar, which is the most traditional complement to this beverage. 

The aroma of this drink brings to mind the scent of freshly cut vegetables or plants. And when the leaves are more fermented, the stronger the fragrance becomes. Preparing it also adds additional benefits. When you make a delicious English breakfast beverage, its memorable aroma usually lingers in the air for at least an hour or more. 

What Is English Breakfast Tea? 

English breakfast drink is a traditional blend of black tea which the exact recipe varies from one tea maker to another. However, most of the time, the tea leaves' source comes from different estates in Assam, Ceylon, and East Africa. It is then mixed to produce a well-rounded brew. 

The drink's richness is so potent that it can be enjoyed alone. But it also means you can enjoy it with milk, and if you like, sweetened with milk. 

Why Is It Called English Breakfast Tea? 

English tea

An English breakfast style, which is strong and moderately caffeinated, is brewed to give you a good boost in the morning and to complement the traditional authentic English breakfast. Its origins trace back to the late 19th century. 

During those times, the tea clippers raced across the ocean trade routes, and drinking tea became more popular. One theory of what became so popular was that in 1892, a Scottish tea master known as Drysdale decided that tea drinkers needed a more potent brew. 

Drysdale then popularized his new tea blend as a beverage suitable for breakfast (instead of just afternoon tea). And that was where he called it "Breakfast tea." The exact time when this beverage became known as English Breakfast is unclear. But it was said that Queen Victoria visited Balmoral in Scotland and tried the breakfast tea and loved it. 

Queen Victoria enjoyed it so much that she took a box with her on her way to England. It then became popularly known as "English Breakfast tea." And that is how it has become a primary essential in every home. 

4 Places To Find The Best English Breakfast Tea 

English breakfast beverage is a tea blend brewed by the use of a variety of different black teas. The best teas are hand-chosen by professional tea tasters and tea masters. And their role is to extract a unique mixture of bold, rich flavors that is smooth and provides a refreshing aftertaste. 

What makes the English breakfast beverage different from each other is where the leaves were sourced. The techniques used to harvest the leaves and the regional climate can affect the flavors. Most of the black teas used for English breakfast drinks are manufactured in four regions: China, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and India. Let's go over them. 

1. China 

China is the world's most leading tea producer, so the tea list is not fully complete without it. China uses Keemun black tea. The most popular tea used to make English breakfast beverages. Even though China is known for its green tea making, it also cultivates elegant black tea that brings in new and more vibrant flavors. 

Keemun also provides smoky notes that make black tea mixtures more robust than other options. For example, with a Keemun English breakfast drink, you will find notes of malt, chocolate, and roasted flavors. 

2. Kenya 

You can commonly find African mixtures of English breakfast tea in sachets or tea bags. Most producers in the country use the CTC method, that is, the Cut-Tear-Curl, to mash the black tea leaves into small pieces. 

You get from such a method a cup of tea with higher sharp notes and intense flavors. Black teas from Kenya are also known for their right and refreshing flavors steeped into light brown colors. 

3. Sri Lanka 

Sri Lanka, previously known as Ceylon, produces black teas called Ceylon teas. Similar to India, Sri Lanka was a former British colony. The English breakfast beverage profile from this country varies, which depends on the estate that produced it. But most share some primary characteristics. 

The black tea produced in Sri Lanka provides citrus and eccentric flavors, and the bitterness is less compared to other black teas. The tea has a refreshing finish and moderate tea and brews into a golden brown color. 

The producers usually produce loose leaf teas, so if you want tea bags, it is less likely that you will find them here. 

4. India

english breakfast tea

India is one of the places that produce the best English breakfast teas, and it comes as no surprise. That is because the region was formerly a British colony, and it was within that period that tea production significantly expanded. 

The country provides some of the best climates for growing tea. And the soil composition gives delicious flavors which it is impossible to find such products anywhere else in the world. In India, Assam black tea is the most popular product. 

Black tea is from a unique variety of tea plants. It is grown in the Assam region rather than the famous tea province, Darjeeling. The leaves give you a robust flavor mixed in a smooth and malty tea. 

The Assam black tea is on the top list of black teas that produce the classic flavor notes the same as the original English breakfast tea. 

The Best Ways You Can Enjoy English Breakfast Tea

Prepare an excellent cup of tea with one of the best blends of the English breakfast beverage. As a tea lover, you will love and enjoy the exhilarating fragrance and bold features of the pleasant-tasting tea. 

The best part is that it is ideal for all palates, making it the best choice where you are a new tea drinker veteran tea drinker. If you want to try out other British teas, you can try Earl Grey, and Irish breakfast tea brewed with bergamot orange for a citrus-like and more vibrant flavor. 

You can also try other alternatives like organic English breakfast drinks. It gives you the best tea flavor without harmful chemicals and pesticides, which can change the natural tasting notes. You can start the day right with your favorite English breakfast drink. You can also add it to your afternoon iced tea with waffles or your favorite pastries. 

Conclusion 

However you decide to brew your favorite cup of tea, the English breakfast tea is sure to be part of the list. Aside from the delicious and ever-refreshing it gives you. It also comes with valuable health benefits. Black tea contains high potassium, and research has shown that it may decrease blood pressure. It can also regulate your body's metabolism and keep your blood sugar levels in check. These are some of the numerous health benefits you get when you drink your favorite English breakfast beverage. Do you want to order your favorite tea? You can order online now, and our team will quickly deliver it to you. Enjoy your favorite English breakfast drink tea as you start your day.