Life around the world

Friday, 20 June, 2014 - 11:28

Tea time

by EleanorC

 A cup of tea is almost a symbol of British culture. As a nation, we are well known for our obsession with this particular hot drink, especially if it it is accompanied by some cake or biscuits. Here are some facts about tea drinking habits in the UK.

1. There is no real tea time

All around the world, everyone thinks that British people drink tea every day at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. In reality, we drink tea at every hour of the day, from the minute we get up to last thing before going to bed. Of course it’s quite likely that a British person will drink tea around the middle of the afternoon, but it’s also common to drink it with breakfast.

2. The perfect partner: scones

Scones are a simple kind of cake, slightly sweet and usually served with jam and cream. They are excellent with tea. In fact, if you order a ‘cream tea’ in the UK, you’ll get a teapot accompanied by a plateful of these little treats. Delicious!

3. Milk in tea

British people nearly always put milk in their tea. This seems strange to people from other European countries, who would rather drink their tea without adding anything to it. In Britain, people add a certain quantity of milk depending on taste and the tea ends up being opaque and brown instead of clear.

People are always shocked when I say that I prefer coffee to tea. Tea really is part of our cultural identity, whether we like it or not!

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Discussion

Do you like tea? What's the most popular drink in your country? 

Submitted by Ira1321 on Wed, 03/23/2022 - 19:16

Yes,I like tea and I like to take it plain.Kvass,kissel are popular in Russia.

Submitted by vivi2003 on Mon, 12/24/2018 - 11:43

In my opinion, the British are very traditional and I like it. I believe that it is a very good way to relax and be in conviviality, above all it gives you very good health benefits, for that reason it seems very good to take it with continuity but calmness cause I agree that at times it can be a bit exaggerated.
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