Fancy a cuppa? A guide to British tea drinking
Everyone knows how popular tea is in Britain. It's synonymous with British culture, so it's worth knowing a little bit about it. The language isn't necessarily something you'll find in a textbook, so I've tried to pull together some key things here.
'normal' tea
If someone offers you a cup of tea in Britain, what you should expect is black tea with milk. The tea itself is black tea (referring to the type), although we don't usually call it that. We just call it tea. If you ask for black tea, that means you want it without milk (referring to the colour, not necessarily the type).
Nowadays, you may also be offered other types of tea, including Earl Grey, fruit teas and decaf. Some of these are less likely to be served with milk. But if you want a standard cup of tea, you can simply ask for a 'normal' one.
You might also hear someone ask for a builder's brew or builder's tea. This means a strong, ordinary cup of tea, usually with milk. The expression comes from the association between tea and tradespeople stopping for a break, typically on building sites. You don't need to be a builder to ask for one, though.
What is a cuppa?
a cuppa (n): an informal, natural way of saying “a cup of tea” in fast, natural speech
a brew (n): an informal word for a cup of tea; from the verb 'to brew'
to brew tea (v): to make tea by adding hot water and allowing it time to develop its flavour (we also brew beer).
fancy a cuppa?: would you like a cup of tea?
a builder's brew (n): a strong, ordinary cup of tea
How do you take it?
“How do you take it?” means how do you like your tea? There's no exact recipe, and everyone has their own preferences. My answer would be “Strongish, milk, no sugar”.
Sugar
Someone might ask, “Do you take sugar?” You can say “no”, or simply give a number: “One, please” or “Two, please”. Sugar is uncountable, but the number refers to spoonfuls. So, “Two, please” is short for “Two spoonfuls, please”.
Milk
People can be really particular about their milk, too. Whole milk, semi-skimmed or skimmed? Traditionally, each type had its own colour: blue for whole milk, green for semi-skimmed and red for skimmed. These colours came from the foil tops on glass milk bottles and are now familiar from the plastic lids on supermarket bottles. You might hear someone refer to their milk simply as “green top”, meaning semi-skimmed milk. The colours can vary, but many people know what they mean.
Teapot or not?
Traditionally, tea was made with loose-leaf tea in a teapot. You would warm the pot first with hot water, empty it, and then add the tea and fresh hot water. When pouring, you'd use a tea strainer to catch the leaves.
A good 'afternoon tea' will often be served with loose-leaf tea in a pot, with a strainer and, of course, a teacup and saucer.
Teabags are more common these days. You can still use a teapot, but instead of loose leaves, you put teabags into the pot. The old rule was “one for each person and one for the pot”. So, three people would need four teabags.
These days, in many homes, and certainly in most workplaces, you're more likely to find tea made straight in a mug. One teabag goes into the mug, hot water is added, and the tea is left to brew.
a teapot (n): a container used to brew and serve tea
a teabag (n): a small bag containing tea leaves
loose-leaf tea (n): tea leaves that are not in a teabag
a tea strainer (n): a small tool used to catch loose tea leaves when pouring
Milk first or tea first?
This is another matter of personal preference. Traditionally, some people would put the milk into the cup first, then pour the brewed tea over it. One explanation is that adding milk first helped protect delicate china from the heat of the tea, although the history behind this is debated.
These days, most people making tea with a teabag in a mug add the milk afterwards so that the tea can brew in hot water first.
There's no single right answer. It depends on how you like your tea.
A cup of tea or a mug of tea?
There's a difference between a cup and a mug, although a cup of tea can mean either. A cup is usually smaller and may come with a saucer. A cup and saucer feel more traditional and elegant, and might be used when you're serving guests. It's certainly what you'd expect if you go for afternoon tea.
A mug is larger and usually doesn't have a saucer. It's a bit sturdier, too, and is probably the more familiar choice for everyday tea at home now.
a mug (n): a large drinking container, usually without a saucer
a cup and saucer (n): a small cup served with a matching saucer
A tea-time memory
When I was younger, I spent my summer holidays with my grandma and granddad. We'd head out for some sort of adventure, usually with a picnic. My grandma would wrap the cups and saucers individually in tea towels to keep them safe. I always remember how formal it felt when she presented the tea.
The kettle
A British home just isn't a British home without a kettle. You might have noticed that most hotel rooms in Britain have one, too. A kettle is a quick and convenient way to boil water. You just flip the switch when you get home, and by the time you've taken off your coat, the water may be ready for a cup of tea. Kettles aren't necessarily an essential in every country. Do you have a kettle in your home?
the kettle (n): an appliance used to boil water
to put the kettle on (v): to start boiling water, usually to make tea or coffee
So, you made it through the blog. Time to put the kettle on?
