Tea and Toast

Will thas’ stick kettle on? Take bread out freezer, would ya’ love?

“How do you take it?”

This is a question all British people are familiar with. Have a plumber round? Offer them a brew (tea). Have an estate agent round? Offer a brew. Has someone just died? Stick the kettle on, and get the toaster out.

While I love a good Full English Breakfast, there is nothing more comforting than the simple pleasure of tea and toast. It’s its own entity. Some like peanut butter, some salted butter, others jam, and perhaps everything all at once.

Tea dates back thousands of years; all the way to China. The legend has it that in 2737BC, Chinese Emperor and renowned herbalist, Shen Nung, was sitting beneath a tree while his servant was boiling drinking water. According to Chinese mythology, a leaf from a Camellia sinensis, or tea plant, fell into his cup. Deciding to have a taste, he discovered it was quite delicious.

A variation on the legend says that Nung accidentally poisoned himself, and close to death, a leaf landed on his tongue, subsequently reviving him. We have no idea if any of these legends are true, or which one is the correct one, but it’s interesting to think about.

The rest of the world discovered tea in the 1600s when Dutch traders began bringing it into Europe. Britain first discovered it in the 1650s when it became a novelty drink in London’s coffee houses. Samuel Pepys records first drinking tea in his diary on September 25th 1660:

“…And afterwards I did send for a cup of tee (a China drink) of which I never had drank before, and went away…”

How we came to be a nation of tea drinkers is highly debated, and you can do your own research on that one. If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that us Brits take tea and toast very seriously. Among ourselves, we often argue about the shade of our toast. Some like theirs pale, some like it tanned, and others like it cremated.

As for making tea, it is also one that is up for debate. Do you take yours black? Do you like milk? Do you take sugar? If so, how many? Do you steep your tea? How long for? Loose leaf or tea bags? What kind?

These are all important questions one must ask before the kettle has finished boiling.

Paul Burrell, former footman to the late Queen, and ex-Butler to Lady Diana, once demonstrated the ‘proper’ way to make tea. Of course, he uses a traditional teapot, which is an option. However, regular folk tend to use an electric kettle.

Personally, I like my tea with milk and two sugars. I use Yorkshire tea bags, and I steep the tea for 2-3 minutes before squeezing the bag on the side and removing it. I don’t like mine too milky, but it can’t be too dark either. If we consult the above chart, I would say my ideal shade of tea varies between Strip Teas and Cuppa Cabana.

When it comes to toast, again, if we refer to the chart, I am between three and four. My preferred butter brands are Lurpak, Anchor, and Country Life; a generous helping of all.

Quite controversially, after eating some toast, I like to dip the leftover crust in my cup of tea. I hate crusts normally, but having that sweet tea taste combined with salted butter makes for a party on your tongue.

All in all, it’s no surprise that Britain has, once again, taken something from another culture and adopted it as our own. Tea and toast is engrained within our DNA. No matter what door you walk through, there will be someone there to offer you a cuppa and a round of toast.

So, if you don’t mind, I need to stick the kettle on!