WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Hyped On Tea Ep. 8: British Tea

Episode Date: April 23, 2024

Today we explore the history and customs of British Tea. 

You are listening to Hyped on Tea, the show that takes you on a global journey through the world of tea on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. My name is Josh Hypes, and I'm your host. Last episode, we took a brief journey into the world of white tea. This week, we are going to be pivoting across the world to Britain to talk about the rich history and customs around British tea. We are so happy to have you listening today, so let's dive right on in. British tea is more of a label used to describe the specific serving method used by the British. For most of the history of tea in England, tea was imported directly from China or from India, and so there are only slight differences between the way a British tea might be processed compared to a Chinese tea.

Really, where the difference lies is in the serving method. Unlike the Eastern tradition of serving tea straight as it is, The British will add milk or sugar or even honey to sweeten and thicken the beverage, and there's also certain varieties that will even add lemon. Often tea will be served alongside pastries such as crumpets or scones or possibly even a meal like breakfast. Most British blends of tea will blend together multiple different types of black teas from India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka in one cup. This results in a more pungent and robust cup of tea.

The history of British tea dates back to around the 16th century, when the beverage was first mentioned in a Dutch travel diary. While Europeans generally knew about tea, the difficulties involved with preserving and transporting the beverage made it almost impossible to get the drink to market. As the English and the Dutch began exploring new trade routes with China, travelers and merchants began talking about a new type of drink with incredible medicinal benefits. It was not until the 17th century that tea made its way to the exclusive coffee houses of London that were only open to the aristocratic and mercantile classes.

Sellers of tea began advertising the medicinal benefits with descriptions that the drink is declared to be the most wholesome, preserving imperfect health until extreme old age, and making the body active and lusty. Others claimed that tea prevented headaches, strengthened memories, and improved breathing. By the 18th century, the tea craze had begun. After Parliament banned the importation of textiles from China in 1720, traders scrambled to start focusing on tea. The East India Company became the undisputed behemoth of the tea market, shipping nearly 6 million pounds of tea in 1766, and monopolies.

the British tea market. Prices stabilized in the latter half of the 18th century, attracting more consumers to tea. Part of the success of the 18th century was the introduction of milk and sugar to temper the bitter astringency of tea. This made it a staple of the British diet as different classes such as the middle and lower class began adopting tea drinking as a pastime. And it also became a symbol of strength for the British Empire. In the 19th century, tea prices once again lowered even further due to the introduction of tea trees in India, greatly expanding the availability of supply and circumventing the Chinese monopoly over production. Tea drinking expanded to the working class as a way to sweeten the bland diet of the British factory laborer. This often consisted of stale bread and cheese.

And afternoon tea was a way to stimulate the laborer to continue working, through a longer workday, oftentimes 12 to 14 hours. Today, British tea is a staple of the British diet, and it remains the cultural behemoth that we all know and love. And that was your introduction to British tea. Though we have only scratched the surface, thank you for listening. This was the eighth episode of Hyped on Tea, and I hope you're hooked on tea. You are listening to Radio Freehillsdale 101.7 FM.