The primary difference between Irish and English Breakfast Tea is the ingredients. Irish Breakfast tea emphasizes the use of Assam and has a more robust and intense flavor than English breakfast. Like their whiskey, the Irish enjoy their tea extra strong.
Irish breakfast tea also has a strong Assam component, giving it a robust, malty flavor and reddish color. It is stronger than English breakfast tea, but not quite as strong as the Scottish variety. Because of the important role of the dairy industry in Ireland, it is usually served with milk.
Irish Breakfast. So what's the difference between Irish and English breakfast tea blends? Twinings describes their Irish Breakfast (when compared to English breakfast) to be “much stronger, more intense in taste and bolder in colour.”. This is a known difference between English and Irish breakfast tea blends.
The main difference between these two breakfast blends is in strength. Irish Breakfast tea is usually stronger than English breakfast, but today, that doesn't always need to be a case. Today, many English Breakfast blends contain at least 2 or more different teas, sometimes even four or more.
Like the country it's named after, Irish Breakfast tea is powerful and strong — but it actually doesn't come from Ireland. Rather, Irish tea is a blend of two or three black teas, usually originating from Indian tea regions.
Due to its strength, Irish Breakfast tea is commonly served with milk, but some prefer to drink it with a slice of lemon and a dash of sugar. Brewing Tips: Irish Breakfast tea should be made with cold, filtered water that has been brought to a rolling boil (205-212° F).
A Unique Tea Service
The Irish are noted for drinking their tea strong and with lots of milk. Traditionally milk was poured into tea cups first to prevent the hot tea from cracking fine china cups.
Rather they are different types of teas. English Breakfast has a more robust flavor, while Earl Grey has a milder flavor. If you want something a bit smoother and citrusy then go for Earl Grey Tea, and want a strong, dark tea then choose English Breakfast tea.
In general, black and pu-erh teas have the highest amount of caffeine, followed by oolong teas, green teas, white teas, and purple teas.
On the whole, Ireland is more of a nation of tea-drinkers than coffee. In fact, to be served anything other than instant coffee (widely available at hotels and restaurants upon request) travelers will have to seek it out.
Irish Breakfast tea emphasizes the use of Assam and has a more robust and intense flavor than English breakfast. Like their whiskey, the Irish enjoy their tea extra strong. The addition of Assam gives the tea a reddish hue, and it exhibits a malty flavor.
Irish breakfast tea is a blend of several black teas, most often a combination of Assam teas and Ceylon teas.
Generally, Scottish Teas are best with some milk and sugar. Although different viewpoints exist, Brodies recommends adding milk last.
English Breakfast Tea has rich antioxidants that help you to protect good cells while fighting against cancer-causing cells in your body. Drinking it daily will also help you soothe the stress caused by this disease.
For many avid Tea drinkers, English Breakfast Tea is the cup of tea of choice. Some know it simply as “Breakfast Tea”; others call it “Builder's Tea”, “Bog-Standard Tea” or, indeed, just “Tea”!
Still, Scottish breakfast tea is thought to be stronger, still. While the blend is similar to Irish and English breakfast teas, Scottish breakfast tea was likely blended specifically to overcome Scotland's soft water, which can sometimes taste a bit salty.
Earl Grey is most widely defined as a black tea that has been flavored with the oil of bergamot.
Black tea is often considered the best alternative to coffee thanks to the flavor, however a standard cup is quite low in caffeine. That's why Zest black tea is more comparable to a cup of coffee - we use additional tea extract to naturally boost the caffeine levels in each serving.
Traditionally, Earl Grey tea is served with a slice of lemon and sugar to taste. According to YouGov, a massive 85% of British Earl Grey and English breakfast tea drinkers enjoy their tea with milk. In the US, they like to add milk and sugar to their Earl Grey tea.
Bergamot is an essential oil that gives a citrus fragrance and is used to flavour Earl Grey and English Tea No. 1, although there is more bergamot in Earl Grey. English Breakfast Tea has no bergamot but is a blend of fine quality teas. Bergamot is a critus fruit, so you may notice a slight citrusy flavour.
How much antioxidants are there in Earl Grey or green tea? Although both both black and green tea are healthy, green tea has much more EGCG and L-theanine than black tea. EGCG is the most important catechin in tea, often linked to weight loss[1], preventing cancer and boosting immune system.
In both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, tea-drinking blends and preferences vary. Although typically served with milk, it is also common to drink certain varieties black or with lemon. Sugar is a popular addition to any variety.
Turkey had the highest rate of tea drinkers in 2022, with nine in ten people saying that they regularly drink the hot beverage, followed by Kenya. Tea is the second most widely consumed drink around the world, coming in only after water.
Ireland has three official tea times. Elevenses – Served at 11:00 AM with scones and biscuits (cookies), enough to hold you over until lunch. Don't forget to have some clotted cream, custard sauce, marmalades, and jams for the scones. Afternoon Tea – Served between 3:00 and 5:00 PM that includes light sweet items.