The term english break fast tea, which stems back not to British history but to its American colonies, refers to a blend of black teas that was first created in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its flavor has been described as rich, robust, full bodied and without a hint of bitterness. Its name comes from the fact it is traditionally associated with breakfast and it is the most popular tea in England.
The origins of English breakfast tea are disputed. While the point of origin is typically believed to be Scotland, one popular theory traces the brew back to New York, of all places. Acoording to this theory an English emigrate, originally from Hull, England, opened up a tea shop in New York City. The man, who went by the name of Richard Davies, created a new mixture after experimenting with various flavored teas. He settled on congou as its base. Legend has it the tea blend was an immediate success that competing companies were unable to replicate. In their desperation they bought ten pounds of the blend and shipped it to China where it was ultimately duplicated for competitors to distribute themselves. Mr. Davies, after a series of poor investments, is believed to have died in poverty.
Modern english breakfast teas vary in their confection. They are combinations of black teas but the presence of specific black teas as well as the ammounts in which they are included varies from brand to brand. The more commonly included black teas are:
Assam: A black tea named after the region in which it is produced, Assam, India, historically the second most important tea production region and the first outside of China. It, along with southern China, is the only region in the world where the tea plant is native. It is typically grown at sea level and its flavor has been described as strong, brisk and malty. Its color is typically intense.
Ceylon: Produced in Sri Lanka (hence its name, as Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon prior to 1972) its flavor has been described as being crisp and similar to that of citrus. It is grown at different altitudes which causes variances in its flavor.
Keemun: Typically produced in Anhui, China it is a relatively new tea, stemming back no farther than 1875. Although only green tea had been produced in Anhui up until that point the tea became an instant sensation. Its aroma is described as being fruity and mildly flowery while its taste is reputed to be smoky and mildly bitter. It is typically found in the blend of only the more expensive english breakfast teas.
Kenyan Black: As its name suggests, it is produced in Kenya. It is highly regarded and described as having a slightly peppery taste.
Because it is a blend of several black teas (the above mentioned predominating but certainly not the only ones included), the most oxidized type of tea, english breakfast tea has a relatively high caffeine content, comparable to that of coffee depending on how concentrated the brew is. For this reason it is particularly effective as a morning beverage for people who require their daily caffeine jolt.
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The term english break fast tea, which stems back not to British history but to its American colonies, refers to a blend of black teas that was first created in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its flavor has been described as rich, robust, full bodied and without a hint of bitterness. Its name comes from the fact it is traditionally associated with breakfast and it is the most popular tea in England.
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