English breakfast tea facts for kids
English breakfast tea is a very popular type of black tea. It's actually a mix of different black teas, usually from places like Assam (in India), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and Kenya. This tea is a big part of British and Irish tea culture.
People often describe English breakfast tea as strong, rich, and full of flavor. It's specially blended to taste great with milk and sugar. This makes it a perfect drink to go along with a big, traditional English breakfast. Sometimes, more expensive blends might also include tea from Keemun, China.
Where English Breakfast Tea Came From
The exact story of how English breakfast tea started is a bit fuzzy! People in Britain and Ireland have been drinking strong black tea for breakfast for a very long time. The name "breakfast tea" has been used by tea sellers since at least the late 1700s. Even though some stories point to a Scottish beginning, it became famous as "English" breakfast tea.
One interesting idea is that the name "English breakfast tea" actually started in America, even during colonial times. Another story says that a tea seller named Richard Davies in New York City created the blend in 1843. Davies, who was an English immigrant, mixed different teas like Congou, Pekoe, and Pouchong.
This new blend became very popular, selling for about 50 cents per one pound (0.45 kg) (which would be about $15.7 today). Its success led other tea sellers to copy it, which helped make the name "English breakfast tea" well-known. An old newspaper from 1876 also mentioned this story, saying the tea started in 1844.
In the UK, Queen Victoria helped make breakfast tea even more popular. In 1892, she tried a blend called "breakfast tea" at Balmoral Castle and really liked it. She even took some back to London with her!
See also
In Spanish: English breakfast tea para niños
