The Perfect Cup of Breakfast Tea

What better feeling is there than waking up to the taste of a hot cup of tea? Drinking a cup of morning tea is a common tradition all around the world, but nothing beats the taste of a cup of delicious Indian tea to kickstart your day. One of the best varieties of tea to enjoy in the morning is Breakfast Tea, a special blend of black tea that is rich and invigorating in flavour.

What is breakfast tea?

Breakfast tea is a special blend of black tea made of fully oxidised tea leaves, which give it a robust, rich flavour. Apart from this, breakfast tea has a comforting aroma that smells somewhat like warm toast and honey – the aroma of this particular tea plays a big role in enhancing its flavour.

Many varieties of breakfast tea are made from a combination of various single origin black teas. Our signature breakfast tea blend, known as Glow Flakes, is grown locally, so every cup you enjoy contains the fresh goodness of the lush green hills of Munnar. Breakfast tea is often enjoyed with a splash of milk and sugar to enhance the flavour.

A centuries-old tradition of breakfast tea

The concept of breakfast tea comes from England, but was actually conceived in Scotland, where a tea master called Drysdale first came up with the idea of marketing his special blend of tea as “Breakfast Tea”. The concept caught up very quickly among the upper crust of English society and was soon brought over to the Indian subcontinent as well on the various tea plantations owned by the British. Funnily enough, even at the time when breakfast tea was becoming popular amongst the British, this tasty tea was not just enjoyed at breakfast but also after a light lunch!

How to drink breakfast tea

As can be guessed from the name, breakfast tea is best enjoyed early in the morning. This type of tea pairs well with milk, since it has a very strong flavour. Here are some tips and a recipe on brewing the perfect cup of breakfast tea.

Ingredients (1 cup):

• 1 cup of hot water

• 1.5 teaspoons or 1 sachet of breakfast tea

• Milk

• Sugar

How to make a perfect cup of breakfast tea:

• Step 1 :Bring a cup of filtered water to the boil, either using an electric kettle or on the stovetop.

• Step 2 : Warm up your teapot by swirling it around in a hot water bath. This is to prevent a vast difference in temperature when pouring the hot water into the teapot.

• Step 3 : Add the breakfast tea leaves to the teapot, allowing it to steep for up to 5 minutes. The longer you let it steep, the more bitter will be the flavour. Keep the teapot covered to preserve the heat.

• Step 4 : Strain out the tea leaves and pour the tea into a cup.

• Step 5: Add a splash of semi skimmed milk and a few teaspoons of sugar.

How to make iced tea using breakfast tea:

While many enjoy breakfast tea in the morning, it can also be used as a flavour for making iced tea.

• Step 1 : To make iced tea, all you need to do is stir in 1.5 teaspoons of tea leaves into a pitcher of ice cold water and stir it around.

• Step 2 : Let the pitcher rest for a few hours or overnight – this will allow the beverage to absorb as much flavour as possible.

• Step 3 : Pour the tea into a glass and add a simple sugar syrup or honey to sweeten it. You can also garnish it with a slice of lemon and ginger for an added flavour dimension.