Odd Fascination
Lately I have been watching a lot of British television. It has inspired me to drink more “European type” teas. I have been drinking a lot of Barry’s and PG tips. It may be a bit cliche to connect them that strongly to British culture, but it has been an obsession.
I find the whole thing a bit odd because I am usually a snob about drinking loose leaf tea. These teas, at least the ones I have, are all bagged. I know the quality of tea is not the same, but I am really enjoying it. However, I do not usually drink such acidic teas; I am using milk.
Does anyone else have a similar experience or perspective on this issue?
Well Britain has a long history with tea and a strong influence on teas and habits. Most Brits that drink tea don’t usually experiment past a few different brands of black tea (PG Tips, Typhoo, Yorkshire Tea etc) and the most fancy they get is something from Twinings. Here tea is something to relax with so bagged is very convenient for most people.
Plus it was on the news a few weeks ago that Britain is now more dominantly a coffee drinking nation rather than tea. A sad day when looked at in perspective I think.
I would say there is no problem in liking British teas a little more despite being pre bagged, lets face it… all imported teas are ‘fancy’. :)
My go-to morning teas have always been bagged british teas, and even as I increase my knowledge of teas and expand my collection, I still drink strong black bagged tea from the UK in the morning. I’ve found loose leaf breakfast style teas that are better, but my preference is still british bags.
Now you’ve got me wanting to trade this yummy oolong for PGTips!
I think my habit started like yours- when I started watching a lot of UK television years ago.
I find that milky teas are a completely different creatures from loose leaf “fancy” teas. You cover up a lot of nuances in a tea once you add milk, so drinking higher quality tea will only be a waste. That’s just my opinion anyway. :) That said, I normally add nothing to my teas and only crave British style teas with milk on occasion. They are amazing with scones and such. Those Brits know what they are up to!
Oh yeah- when we got Netflix, all of a sudden an entire world of British t.v. opened up! I have been going through entire series pretty quickly. One of my favorites has been Upstairs, Downstairs (I was just a little to young to appreciate it when it was originally broadcast on PBS here in the States). No question about what inspired Downton Abbey once you see that series. Some of the storylines are identical.
Anyway, I will admit that it has had the same effect- definitely inspires more tea consumption. And yes, more PG Tips!
Here are some of the shows I found that I really liked:
Upstairs, Downstairs
Vicar of Dibley (previously seen on PBS)
Luther (not much tea inspiration here, though, just a good show)
Inspector Lewis
Black Books
Sherlock (the 2010 series remake)
Doc Martin
Reggie Perrin
I am in love with Black Books. From around the same time, I’d also recommend Spaced and Green Wing if you haven’t seen them yet (though Green Wing is an acquired taste and kind of offensive to those prone to being offended).
I love Sherlock. Have you watched Jekyll? It has been on Netflix. It is a nice companion to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
OMG, Black Books. LOVE. I recently devoured The IT Crowd which is by the same people. Jekyll is remarkable as well. And I know it is obvious, but I love Doctor Who. :)
Nothing wrong with appreciating the supermarket stuff! I’ve come to appreciate the huge variety of flavors that can be coaxed out of the leaves of one plant species, but I still find a milky, slightly sweet brew to be very comforting.
I don’t know if you guys like it much, but I found honey irresistible when it comes to sweetening my morning teas. Have you tried it?
Yes, definitely. I’ve been drinking Yorkshire Gold (bagged) with milk lately and watching a lot of “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” and “Coupling.” Both series are streaming on Netflix — and are hilarious.
Yorkshire Gold, eh? Have you watched Homeland? That is the favorite tea of one character.
I love Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry! I drink Earl Grey, Yorkshire, or Lady Grey when I watch “Jeeves and Wooster.”
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