# What is the favorite tea in Great Britain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918 "2004-01-31T15:05:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![glas\_onion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9dc877/32.png) [@glas\_onion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glas_onion)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/41 "2004-02-02T21:51:25Z")
> [@Usram](#): > > **robo99** , the (relative) unavailability of electric kettles in the US has come up before in threads like this. Don’t you have cup-a-soups, hot chocolate, coffee bags etc. in the States? And if so, how do you make them? Hot Chocolate…made with boiling water, are you serious? Hot Chocolate should only be made with MILK, not water, dear god no. And what is a “Coffee Bag”. Sorry if I’m being ignorant here. Is it similar to a Teabag.(Not a fan of coffee, I hate the stuff!) ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/42 "2004-02-02T22:13:12Z")
> [@glas onion](#): > > Hot Chocolate…made with boiling water, are you serious? > > Hot Chocolate should only be made with MILK, not water, dear god no. > > And what is a “Coffee Bag”. Sorry if I’m being ignorant here. Is it similar to a Teabag.(Not a fan of coffee, I hate the stuff!) Yes proper drinking chocolate should be made with milk. I think what robo99 was talking about was the “instant” type which comes in a one shot pack and contains dried milk alongside the chocolate powder and suger. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/43 "2004-02-02T22:27:59Z")
> [@glas onion](#): > > Hot Chocolate…made with boiling water, are you serious? > > Hot Chocolate should only be made with MILK, not water, dear god no. > > And what is a “Coffee Bag”. Sorry if I’m being ignorant here. Is it similar to a Teabag.(Not a fan of coffee, I hate the stuff!) Instant Hot Chocolate from the pouch takes boiling water. Coffee bags are like tea bags, only…with coffee. As for the lack of electric kettles…that’s why God invented microwaves, me boyo! Mug goes in, nuke for 45 seconds, instant boiling water without the fuss of another container. Add hot chocolate mix, tea bag, whatever. THIS Yank drinks his tea sweet, but without milk. Milk is for sissies, and coffee. ( I know, I know. My friends often ask if I want coffee with my milk and sugar.) ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/44 "2004-02-02T22:29:27Z")
Yeah, I was thinking of those sachets of instant hot chocolate. They come in all sorts of weird flavours - I’m rather a fan of the Bailey’s Irish Cream one myself, especially when augmented with a generous slug of actual Bailey’s Irish Cream. Coffee bags are indeed like teabags except bigger and with ground coffee in them. I use them all the time (Sainsbury’s, very nice and individually wrapped, hence infinite shelf life) - pretty good coffee, no hassle. ---
**Author:** ![robo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@robo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robo99)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/45 "2004-02-02T23:58:53Z")
> [@](#): > > robo99, the (relative) unavailability of electric kettles in the US has come up before in threads like this. Don’t you have cup-a-soups, hot chocolate, coffee bags etc. in the States? And if so, how do you make them? Just your basic kettle on a gas cooker (stove-top) is what I use.🙂 I never brought up hot chocolate in the first place but I prefer water since milk isn’t good for my stomach. I never use sugar - any hot chocolate I drink is unsweetened. I will use milk/cream in tea sometimes but I generally drink it with nothing added. Oh, another thing that Brits would find weird is that we drink a lot of Iced Tea here. That’s my preferred drink with Lunch or Dinner if I’m not up for wine. And it has to be real brewed tea - there’s a big market here for crappy tea-like drinks - they’re disugusting. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/46 "2004-02-03T00:14:27Z")
Now that **Rodd Hill** broke the ice, as it were, do any of you “Over There” in the old country drink iced tea? Made good and strong, and with lotsa sugar, it can be very refreshing. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/47 "2004-02-03T01:12:52Z")
> [@robo99](#): > > Just your basic kettle on a gas cooker (stove-top) is what I use.🙂 > > I never brought up hot chocolate in the first place but I prefer water since milk isn’t good for my stomach. I never use sugar - any hot chocolate I drink is unsweetened. I will use milk/cream in tea sometimes but I generally drink it with nothing added. > > Oh, another thing that Brits would find weird is that we drink a lot of Iced Tea here. That’s my preferred drink with Lunch or Dinner if I’m not up for wine. And it has to be real brewed tea - there’s a big market here for crappy tea-like drinks - they’re disugusting. Are you _sure_ you drink _unsweetened_ hot chocolate? Maybe you don’t add sweetener, but it’s almost surely sweetened. Unsweetened chocolate is extremely bitter. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/48 "2004-02-03T03:51:20Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > OK **chique** , I’m trying your concoction now, and… er… > > There was a slightly worrying froth on the top of the water when I took it out of the microwave. The teabag definitely leached quite well, but the flavour didn’t come through very strongly. It’s also quite tepid. It’s a bit like what you get out of those instant tea machines. However, out of a sense of honour, I shall finish it. Yes, the froth makes me wonder, mostly about what causes it. As for the lack of strength and the…uh…is “tepidity” a word?..I’m thinking my micro has more guts than yours - the water boils when I do it. And after making my own cuppa after this post I found I do let it steep more than a minute - more like three or four. ---
**Author:** ![robo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@robo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robo99)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/49 "2004-02-03T04:51:11Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Are you _sure_ you drink _unsweetened_ hot chocolate? Maybe you don’t add sweetener, but it’s almost surely sweetened. Unsweetened chocolate is extremely bitter. Yeah, I get unsweetened chocolate powder that’s used for baking and add hot water. It doesn’t take long to get used to the bitter taste but once you do it tastes much better, for me at least. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/50 "2004-02-03T13:04:09Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Strong and milky. > > When I’m arsed, here’s my method\*: > > Pour hot water into a large mug; let it stand while you’re boiling the water. > > Pour out the hot water, throw in the teabag. > > Pour the boiling water into the mug through the teabag. > > Then don’t touch it. Let it stand for a minimum of 3 minutes. No less. > > After 3 - 3.5 minutes, gently lift the teabag out from underneath, taking care not to squeeze it at all. This is very important (this method makes the tea really strong, but not tannic; after 3 minutes with no agitation, the tannin seems to reside in the teabag, and only gets released when you squish it). > > Then pour in lots of cold milk, and let rest for a couple of minutes. Divine! Mmm, sounds perfect. Mine has to be with fat free milk though. (can’t tolerate milkfat.) Before I gave it up a month ago, I’d average 4 cups a day, I even got my American husband doing the same. An expensive habit over here. As for iced tea, I’ve never seen a single one of the fellow Brits I know drink it. Bleargh. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/51 "2004-02-03T13:14:45Z")
Ladies and Gentlemen, if possible, do your bit and buy Fairtrade tea. At least that way you know the producers were paid a living wage. In the UK Fairtrade tea is available in Co-Op supermarkets and from OXFAM shops. You can also order it online. It is branded as Tea Direct, and the coffee is Cafe Direct. They’re both perfectly drinkable. (I have that as my bag tea, and I have some Zimbabwean loose leaf Tanganda tea ,which my grandmother brought back a couple of years ago, for big pots. I mostly drink coffee, Rooibush or green teas though. “Proper” tea is when I’m feeling poorly or eating buttered toast. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/52 "2004-02-03T13:20:39Z")
I used to drink PG Tips. I have switched to Morrisons own brand Extra Strong Assam Blend. It’s an excellent full-flavoured refreshing tea. At work we used to get PG tips or Tetley’s. Tetley’s is very popular, but I don’t rate it highly. (re fairtrade, Morrisons own brand fairtrade coffee is very good) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/53 "2004-02-03T13:23:57Z")
> [@LunaSea](#): > > As for iced tea, I’ve never seen a single one of the fellow Brits I know drink it. Bleargh. I don’t mind iced tea on a hot day. I used to drink ‘leng cha’ (lemon iced tea) in Hong Kong all the time. Except in the US, where it’s hideously sweet. One time I was in a DQ in Texas, and I ordered a Coke. The well meaning ladies behind the counter thought, with my accent, I’d like “tea” instead - meaning to them, disgustingly sugared iced tea. They didn’t give me the Coke, but neglected to tell me what I was about to drink. I took one swig, expecting Coke and getting something quite horrible, and sprayed it all down my host’s white shirt. He was not happy. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/54 "2004-02-03T13:24:48Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > “Proper” tea is when I’m feeling poorly or eating buttered toast. Sorry, this one is really old, but it’s my favourite joke and I can’t resist. Q: Why does the Marxist only drink herbal tea? A: Because proper tea is theft. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/55 "2004-02-03T13:49:57Z")
> [@robo99](#): > > I drink Tetley’s Orange Pekoe here in the U.S. One thing I hate about Lipton’s is that each bag comes individually wrapped in paper - what a waste. Also, decent electric kettles are hard to come by here. I heard an idea that this is because Americans have 110 volt household power, as opposed to the 240V standard common to other countries–apparently, 110V power is not conducive (ha!) to quick-boiling, electric kettles. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/56 "2004-02-03T17:41:12Z")
> [@Jervoise](#): > > I heard an idea that this is because Americans have 110 volt household power, as opposed to the 240V standard common to other countries–apparently, 110V power is not conducive (ha!) to quick-boiling, electric kettles. Is this true? You can get electric kettles in the US, e.g. Krups sells them. I have one. It boils the water quickly enough for me - it never struck me as being noticeably slower than in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![robo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@robo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robo99)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/57 "2004-02-03T17:49:07Z")
[quote] I heard an idea that this is because Americans have 110 volt household power, as opposed to the 240V standard common to other countries–apparently, 110V power is not conducive (ha!) to quick-boiling, electric kettles. Is this true?[/quote[ Well, I never thought of that. I do know that electric cookers take a very long time to heat up here in the U.S. but I was never able to compare them to those in countries with 220V because they always had gas cookers. ---
**Author:** ![robo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@robo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robo99)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/58 "2004-02-03T17:55:05Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I don’t mind iced tea on a hot day. I used to drink ‘leng cha’ (lemon iced tea) in Hong Kong all the time. Except in the US, where it’s hideously sweet. One time I was in a DQ in Texas, and I ordered a Coke. The well meaning ladies behind the counter thought, with my accent, I’d like “tea” instead - meaning to them, disgustingly sugared iced tea. They didn’t give me the Coke, but neglected to tell me what I was about to drink. I took one swig, expecting Coke and getting something quite horrible, and sprayed it all down my host’s white shirt. He was not happy. In the U.S. you need to be observant and/or quick thinking to order Iced Tea. I will usually ask them if it’s brewed. If they give me a quick confident “yes”, I know I can order it. If they hesitate, I know they have no idea what I’m talking about and I look around for the standard tea brewing receptacle. After a while you remember which establishments carry the real stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/59 "2004-02-03T19:47:04Z")
Down the street from me is a shop that is chock full of British trinkets, and is run by an elderly gentleman from Wales who calls me “love.” His prices are shocking, but I must buy my tea from there because it’s the only place that I know of in Dayton, Ohio that sells Yorkshire Gold. I boil my water in an electric hotpot (or kettle), pour it over the teabag and allow to steep five minutes, then scoop the bag out and add a splash of milk and a spoonful of sugar. Delicious! I have been experimenting with PG Tips but I’m not too sure I want to switch over to that just yet. Yorkshire Gold seems to have a fuller flavor. I don’t really enjoy green tea, but I did try something the other week called Dragon Pearl, I think. The leaves were coiled into a tight ball that turned into something like seaweed when I added the water, but oh! What a light, delicate flavor! I could drink it all day. Too bad it’s soo expensive! I used to work at a restaurant near the airport, and one day a few Brits came in, and while I was cleaning off the table next to them, I heard this: “Have you tried the iced coffee they have here in America?” “Oh no, I don’t think I have.” “It is very good, very refreshing.” I was thinking, yeah, I tried some iced cappucinos before, and I like them a lot, especially the mocha cappucinos – can’t beat cold chocolaty coffee in the middle of summer in Chicago. But it still surprised me when I went to the table to take their order and they ordered iced coffee. “Oh, I’m sorry, but we don’t serve cappucinos here.” “No, no, we just want coffee and ice.” So, being a dutiful and obedient server, I went to serve them the requested beverage. I filled glasses full of ice and then poured fresh coffee over it. They accepted it like it was normal and drank it black. Yeccch! Do British people really think we drink coffee that way over here? Do we actually drink coffee like that over here? I’d never heard of it before, although, to think about it, it seems an awful lot like iced tea, only substituting coffee. Has anyone ever heard of that before? ---
**Author:** ![Peezus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Peezus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peezus)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918/60 "2004-02-03T22:38:29Z")
> [@Elysian](#): > > I used to work at a restaurant near the airport, and one day a few Brits came in, and while I was cleaning off the table next to them, I heard this: > > “Have you tried the iced coffee they have here in America?” > > “Oh no, I don’t think I have.” > > “It is very good, very refreshing.” > > I was thinking, yeah, I tried some iced cappucinos before, and I like them a lot, especially the mocha cappucinos – can’t beat cold chocolaty coffee in the middle of summer in Chicago. But it still surprised me when I went to the table to take their order and they ordered iced coffee. > > “Oh, I’m sorry, but we don’t serve cappucinos here.” > > “No, no, we just want coffee and ice.” > > So, being a dutiful and obedient server, I went to serve them the requested beverage. I filled glasses full of ice and then poured fresh coffee over it. They accepted it like it was normal and drank it black. > > Yeccch! > > Do British people really think we drink coffee that way over here? Do we actually drink coffee like that over here? I’d never heard of it before, although, to think about it, it seems an awful lot like iced tea, only substituting coffee. > > Has anyone ever heard of that before? I drink coffee that way, and I live over here. I think the best way to enjoy anything is as plain as you can get it. No milk, sugar, anything. In terms of tea, I used to drink loosleaf tea from fortnum and mason, but the grocery store stopped carrying that, so now I order it online from [www.uptontea.com](http://www.uptontea.com) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-favorite-tea-in-great-britain/226918.md?page=4)