Opinions often differ greatly when it comes to the topic of “tea with milk:” Many convinced tea drinks swear by drinking tea pure, i.e. without adding milk or tea. Others - and by no means not just English - prefer to refine tea, especially black tea, with some milk, even if it likely prevents potentially healthy effects of some active ingredients.
We believe that everyone should drink tea exactly how they prefer it best. With milk, with cream, with sugar or sweetener, with a shot of lemon juice or just pure. Nevertheless, or precisely because of this, in this article we will cover the controversial topic of tea with milk, delve into historical and taste aspects and provide some tips on which varieties of tea are suited to add milk and which are not.
This question results in a variety of answers, such as: to protect the porcelain or to prepare a tasty hot drink while using fewer expensive tea leaves. However, it is much more likely that tea (incidentally it is similar with coffee) is enjoyed by many with milk, because it simply tastes good.
And why do many English drink tea with milk? Probably for the same reasons, but the British are even more precise with their taste. They have two fractions: Milk-in-first (Mif) and tea-in-first (Tif). We're not sure whether that actually makes a difference, but in the United Kingdom this sequence is often passionately debated.
This question results in a variety of answers, such as: to protect the porcelain or to prepare a tasty hot drink while using fewer expensive tea leaves. However, it is much more likely that tea (incidentally it is similar with coffee) is enjoyed by many with milk, because it simply tastes good.
And why do many English drink tea with milk? Probably for the same reasons, but the British are even more precise with their taste. They have two fractions: Milk-in-first (Mif) and tea-in-first (Tif). We're not sure whether that actually makes a difference, but in the United Kingdom this sequence is often passionately debated.
Cardiologists at Berliner Charité found in a study that adding milk to black tea cancels out its health benefits. The tea owes its health benefits to its tannic acids, which not only provide the slightly bitter taste, but as antioxidants prevent arteriosclerosis by dilating the arteries. Apparently the milk protein casein apparently prevents this, which combines with the tannic acids, preventing a positive health effect. However, there are other studies that suggest that the tannic acids are only absorbed with a delay due to the milk. In other words, it takes longer until the organism can metabolize them.
So if you drink black tea primarily or only due to the positive effects on your health, you should consider doing without adding milk or cream and preferring to drink tea black. However, if tea is primary a matter of enjoyment and taste for you, you shouldn't let it hold you back and you should complete your tea with milk or cream as you wish.
Whether you first add milk to the cup and then the steeped tea or vice versa of course is up to your personal taste. The British Standards Institution (BSI) recommends first letting the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes and then pouring it directly in the cup or a teapot.
With East Frisian tea convention, on the other hand, white candied sugar is first added to the cup, then the hot tea is added and finally a dollop of cream is added in a circular motion - because Frisians frown on stirring.
We recommend using a fresh milk with 1.5 or 3.5 percent fat content and warming this to room temperature before adding it to the tea. A small milk jug that holds enough milk for a whole teapot is ideal for this.
Steep the tea 2 to 5 minutes, depending on your taste and the variety, and then add the steeped tea to a clean glass or porcelain teapot that has been warmed with hot water. Or use a tea ball or tea strainer to be able to easily remove the tea leaves from the finished tea. Remember: The longer the tea steeps, the more intensive the flavor and the more tannins are dissolved.
Cardiologists at Berliner Charité found in a study that adding milk to black tea cancels out its health benefits. The tea owes its health benefits to its tannic acids, which not only provide the slightly bitter taste, but as antioxidants prevent arteriosclerosis by dilating the arteries. Apparently the milk protein casein apparently prevents this, which combines with the tannic acids, preventing a positive health effect. However, there are other studies that suggest that the tannic acids are only absorbed with a delay due to the milk. In other words, it takes longer until the organism can metabolize them.
So if you drink black tea primarily or only due to the positive effects on your health, you should consider doing without adding milk or cream and preferring to drink tea black. However, if tea is primary a matter of enjoyment and taste for you, you shouldn't let it hold you back and you should complete your tea with milk or cream as you wish.
Whether you first add milk to the cup and then the steeped tea or vice versa of course is up to your personal taste. The British Standards Institution (BSI) recommends first letting the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes and then pouring it directly in the cup or a teapot.
With East Frisian tea convention, on the other hand, white candied sugar is first added to the cup, then the hot tea is added and finally a dollop of cream is added in a circular motion - because Frisians frown on stirring.
We recommend using a fresh milk with 1.5 or 3.5 percent fat content and warming this to room temperature before adding it to the tea. A small milk jug that holds enough milk for a whole teapot is ideal for this.
Steep the tea 2 to 5 minutes, depending on your taste and the variety, and then add the steeped tea to a clean glass or porcelain teapot that has been warmed with hot water. Or use a tea ball or tea strainer to be able to easily remove the tea leaves from the finished tea. Remember: The longer the tea steeps, the more intensive the flavor and the more tannins are dissolved.
Generally you can drink all black, non-aromatic tea varieties with milk to enhance the flavor. You can also serve green tea with milk, such as a chai latte enriched with other spices and flavors.
You should be careful with flavored tea varieties and fruit teas. It is best to look at the packaging to see whether the manufacturer recommends drinking this tea with milk. This is because many flavors can taste different with milk or, as with fruit teas, cause the milk to flocculate due to the acids contained in the milk. However, an exception is flavored black tea of the Earl Grey variety, which is often enjoyed in the United Kingdom at tea time, preferably with milk.
The following tea varieties are suited to be prepared as tea with milk:
• Assam
• Ceylon
• Chai
• Earl Grey
• Rooibos and honeybush
Generally you can drink all black, non-aromatic tea varieties with milk to enhance the flavor. You can also serve green tea with milk, such as a chai latte enriched with other spices and flavors.
You should be careful with flavored tea varieties and fruit teas. It is best to look at the packaging to see whether the manufacturer recommends drinking this tea with milk. This is because many flavors can taste different with milk or, as with fruit teas, cause the milk to flocculate due to the acids contained in the milk. However, an exception is flavored black tea of the Earl Grey variety, which is often enjoyed in the United Kingdom at tea time, preferably with milk.
The following tea varieties are suited to be prepared as tea with milk:
• Assam
• Ceylon
• Chai
• Earl Grey
• Rooibos and honeybush
It’s true that adding milk changing the taste. Strong black tea in particular loses its bite with a little milk, making it taste more rounded and softer. However, in no case do we want to convey that drinking tea without milk does not taste good or as good, because, for example, black tea is traditionally enjoyed strong in the Arabic world with plenty of sugar and without milk - and they have been doing it that way for thousands of years.
So our recommendation is this: Try your favorite tea both ways. Test it out and see how it tastes without the addition of milk and how the taste changes when you pour a little milk in the cup. This way you can determine your own preference and in the future perhaps will only drink certain tea varieties with milk, while you prefer to enjoy other varieties pure.
The traditional tea time is usually celebrated between 4 pm and 5 pm in the United Kingdom, but it is referred to there as “afternoon tea” or “low tea”) since the tea was traditionally enjoyed in the parlor at a low table). Because for a true Briton, the entire day is “tea time.”
It’s true that adding milk changing the taste. Strong black tea in particular loses its bite with a little milk, making it taste more rounded and softer. However, in no case do we want to convey that drinking tea without milk does not taste good or as good, because, for example, black tea is traditionally enjoyed strong in the Arabic world with plenty of sugar and without milk - and they have been doing it that way for thousands of years.
So our recommendation is this: Try your favorite tea both ways. Test it out and see how it tastes without the addition of milk and how the taste changes when you pour a little milk in the cup. This way you can determine your own preference and in the future perhaps will only drink certain tea varieties with milk, while you prefer to enjoy other varieties pure.
The traditional tea time is usually celebrated between 4 pm and 5 pm in the United Kingdom, but it is referred to there as “afternoon tea” or “low tea”) since the tea was traditionally enjoyed in the parlor at a low table). Because for a true Briton, the entire day is “tea time.”