English Breakfast Tea – is Tea Good for You?

English Breakfast Tea from Rare Tea Co

English Breakfast Tea – could anything be more English? Even George Orwell, the novelist responsible for ‘1984’ and ‘Animal Farm’ and known for pondering such serious topics as social injustice and tackling totalitarianism found tea a worthy topic of an article. He wrote a piece on how to make the perfect cup of tea for the London Standard in 1946. The matter has even been the subject of research at Britain’s Loughborough University. Water is the only beverage which is consumed more than tea.

The one thing that can be taken for granted is that English Breakfast Tea, in England, is drunk with milk. Consensus ends there – friends and families can have endless discussions on whether you should put milk into the cup before or after the tea, whether you should use skimmed, full fat or gold top (a rich and creamy milk produced by Jersey and Guernsey cow breeds), and even if it’s acceptable to take sugar. Then, if you decide to make tea in a mug with a teabag (instead of the traditional teacup and teapot), should you remove the teabag, or leave it in to get a stronger brew? Or even use two teabags – the debates are endless!

What are the benefits of drinking black tea (such as English Breakfast Tea)? Tea contains anti-oxidants which help protect the body from aging. Also, according to the US Cancer Institute, the antioxidants polyphenol compounds found in tea may be relevant to cancer prevention. On top of this, research has shown that drinking tea can reduce the risk of heart attack.

The image on this post features Rare Tea’s English Breakfast Tea which is a very traditional British tea, handcrafted by skilled men and women. Sustainable practices are used to benefit both the land and the people who live off it. What’s more 50p of the price paid for this English Breakfast Tea goes to the Royal Air Forces Association. RAFA is registered charity which helps a range of people get their lives back on track. See this clip from comedian Alexander Armstrong for a characteristic comparison to other teas.

The post image also features Fiona Cairns Classic Gingerbread Biscuits – which I must confess are the nicest gingerbread biscuits I have ever tried!

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