What is English Breakfast Tea?

While certainty of the origins of English breakfast tea is unknown, what is known for sure is that the tea is actually a blend of various different black teas. A typical English breakfast tea blend will consist of Ceylon and Assam teas. Other more exquisite blends may include Kenyan or Keemun teas. English breakfast tea has a very distinctive flavor. It is strong, robust, and aromatic.

While the Assam tea lends it the rich-flavor, the dark orange color can be attributed to the Ceylon tea. English breakfast tea is the kind of tea that is meant to be consumed at a particular time, in the morning with breakfast; there are also afternoon and evening teas. These teas are essentially blends that are meant to give an energetic start to the day or soothe you at the end the day. So, the English breakfast tea blend is intentionally strong and refreshing, with more caffeine than most other teas.

English Breakfast Tea Calories

Essentially, one serving of English breakfast tea (one cup) has no calories. It contains zero fats, carbs, and proteins; it has no dietary fiber; and it has no sodium content. What it does contain are flavonoids and antioxidants, similar to those found in the Camellia sinensis plant from which all black teas are derived, to which most of the English breakfast tea benefits can be attributed. Specifically, the plant contains vitamins, minerals, polysaccharides, purines, volatile oils, alkaloids (such as caffeine), and polyphenols (which are catechins and flavonoids). It should be noted that tea has only one-third of the caffeine that is found in coffee and is considered to be healthy alternative for those who need their caffeine fix in the morning. English breakfast tea’s caffeine content is 3.4 percent of the total weight.

English Breakfast Tea Benefits

The health benefits of the tea are derived from its antioxidant, anti-allergic, and antimicrobial properties. It is also known to boost the level of the brain’s alpha waves, which, in turn, is said to reduce anxiety and induce relaxation. This affect can be attributed to the amino acid L-theanine found in tea. Apart from this, drinking English breakfast tea is also supposed to benefit the cardiovascular system. Research shows that regular consumption of English breakfast tea minimalizes the constriction of blood vessels. Additionally, the tea is said to have gastro-protective properties, which means that it helps soothe and aid the digestive system.

English Breakfast Tea Recipe

A full English breakfast includes a considerable array of foods. Here’s a quick look at the ingredients and style of cooking a full and hearty English breakfast.

Ingredients:

Sausages – 2
Rashers of bacon – 2
Eggs – 2
Mushrooms – 1 cup (finely sliced)
Tomatoes – 2
Baked beans – 1 tin
Bread – 2 slices (toasted)
Black pudding – 2 sausages
Hash browns, if needed.
Cooking oil, sauce, and salt to taste

First up, you need to cut the mushrooms; slice them finely. Next, slice the black pudding sausages; you can cut them into pieces of about 1.5 cm. Next, the tomatoes need to be cut in half. For cooking, start by grilling the bacon, sausages, and halved tomatoes; if you don’t have a grill, you can lightly fry them as well. Next, take a frying pan, add a little oil, and fry the black pudding sausages and mushrooms together; once the mushrooms turn a golden brown, remove from the heat and place them in a heat-proof dish and into the oven to keep them warm. Next, empty the can of beans in a saucepan and simmer on a low heat. The last thing you need to do is fry your eggs in whichever style you choose. When it’s all done, place everything on a plate, sprinkle some salt and dress with some brown sauce. Of course, no English breakfast is complete without some English breakfast tea.

How to Make English Breakfast Tea?

So how does one brew the perfect cup of English breakfast test? The key to making the perfect English breakfast tea is to choose the right blend of teas; the most common blend uses Assam and Ceylon teas in the ratio of 1:1. Of course, you also have the option of buying a ready-made blend from the market. Once you’ve got the blend, all you need to do is pre-heat a teapot and add the tea blend to it. Typically, it’s one spoon per cup. Next up, add some boiled water to the pot, preferably while it is still boiling. Cover the pot, and let your tea brew. Some people prefer their teas brewed for longer, but five minutes is the norm.

When your tea is brewed, all that’s left to do is to pour it into a cup and add the sugar and milk to taste. Always use a hand strainer when pouring the tea so as to keep the tea leaves from dropping into the cup. English breakfast black tea is essentially a blend of various black teas, and hence, the taste is strong and aromatic, and without milk, it can be borderline bitter.

Full English Breakfast Tea Calories

The calories in a full English breakfast can be broken down as follows: Two sausages, 530 calories; two rashers of bacon, 92 calories; two eggs, 160 calories; one tomato, 33 calories; one mushroom, 28 calories; two slices of toast, 130 calories; two black pudding sausages, 50 calories, a tin of baked beans (210 grams) with sauce, 151 calories; and hash browns (one serving), 416 calories. Apart from these, additional calories can be added with the cooking oil, sauces, preserves, marmalade, etc.

Submitted on May 24, 2011