Deconstructing the Breakfast Teas
It became quite apparent yesterday, after brewing gallon after gallon of our Harry Cranston English Breakfast tea in celebration of the Royal Wedding, that Americans to this day retain a lot of interest in historical English tea culture. You can forget that sometimes, as the trend moves towards greener brews flavored with fruits and spice and served in untraditional forms (iced) and untraditional vessels (polycarbonate to-go mugs). And yet there is something that will always remain appealing and comforting about a cup of the strongest possible black tea complemented by milk, even sugar and a scone.
Once you decide it is a breakfast tea you are after, discerning which one to choose can be a fun challenge. We offer a variety of teas in this genre, all with subtle differences, so a few guidelines may help you in your search:
English Breakfast This classic black tea may be the most widely drunk blend in the world. It dates back to the time before the British had successfully started tea cultivation in India, and so, of course, the blend was originally based around a tea that hailed from tea’s very birthplace- China. In particular it was tea called Keemun, which is produced exclusively in the county of Qimen. Known for its rich smoky aroma and molasses-like flavor, Keemun is one of the most refined of all black teas. Drunk on its own it has a distinct red-wine-like flavor, but as part of a blend with a little milk the flavor changes more towards that of toasted bread. But such a great tea doesn’t come cheap and these days most English Breakfast blends use cheaper Assam teas from India for a solid base rounded out with a bit of Kenyan tea for some fruity briskness. While they are not bad by any measure, we prefer the original for its unique character, tasting as if it had come from a different time and place.
Irish Breakfast Although this tea has no set formula, compared to the English Breakfast it should be expected to be even stronger and bolder. The classic way to achieve this is to use a blend of teas that have an extremely rich, full-bodied flavor. The same malty Assam provides a good base, while Chinese Yunnan tea adds an earthy, almost coffee-like character. While the Keemun comes off as elegant and aristocratic, Yunnan can be thought of as a rough-hewn, but sturdy cousin from the countryside. In fact several of our customers have commented on the fact that the aroma of the dry leaf of Yunnan tea bears a strong resemblance to barnyard hay! Don’t be scared off though, because few teas are more substantial and satisfying in the morning or during an afternoon lull.
Highland Breakfast (or East Frisian Blend) In the damp and cold regions of Northern Scotland (and Germany) the blends of teas drunk are some of the strongest you will find. They need extra strong tea to compensate for the naturally soft water that can make infusing a challenge (tea particles requires a certain amount of minerals in the water to bond on to effectively) but we have plenty of customers who like it that strong even with the ideal water. Now with these blends, the strength doesn’t come from the specific type of tea used as much as it does from the size used. Whereas our English and Irish Breakfast teas use a full leaf grade commonly called “orange pekoe”, our Highland Breakfast uses a much smaller “broken orange pekoe” grade of Assam, which creates more surface area and allows the tea to become stronger, quicker. Adding milk or cream is a must to balance out the mild astringency of an otherwise very fresh, malty tasting tea.
English Afternoon While not a “breakfast tea” we thought it important to carry and include a tea to represent the other important Anglo tradition: afternoon tea. In this blend a citrusy Ceylon tea balances out the stronger Assam and allows for a lighter tea that can be drunk plain or with a slice of lemon. An afternoon tea shouldn’t require any milk, but adding some certainly won’t hurt it. Many people also enjoy drinking Darjeelings for this purpose, as they are the lightest of all black teas.
Tags: Black Tea China History India
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