I was frozen with the first splash of milk as it entered the teacup. My mind screamed, “Wait, what do you think you are doing?” Fresh lemon, with perhaps a bit of steaming—or even old honey on those occasions when things had to burst into theatrical flame. Tea to me has most certainly not milk in it.
Then I came to the UK. You know, tea drinking over here is a serious business and no mistake. Forget the Queen—ask people how they take their tea. Well, they’ll give you a 10-minute monologue on leaf strength, steeping time, and whether the milk should be put in before or after. Here’s a spoiler: that’s an entirely new battle.
The Origins of Putting Milk in Tea
But why? What makes the English do that? In fact, the origin of this whole custom—putting milk in tea—is not only eccentric but has historic roots in England. This custom dates back to the 1600s. Tea arrived in Britain on the heels of Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess who married King Charles II. Sophisticated stuff, huh? To begin with, only the upper class drank tea. They took not a drop of milk, just restrained sips and doubtlessly more pinky lifting as well.
However, as it came into more general use (also became a lot cheaper), people began to experiment. And adding milk to tea? That’s really not just about taste. Some people say it helped protect the fragile cups from cracking when hot tea was poured in. Others maintain that it made the brew less bitter. I suspect someone merely thought, “Well, this makes it creamier,” and so milk in tea was born.
“No, wait; now hang on.” Here, tea was highly prized for both its quality and price. When people drank tea, they typically added milk in a show of wealth. This was to ensure themselves that they were getting the right leaves. Because old-fashioned china cups easily cracked if hot tea was poured into them first, they adopted pouring milk before the tea. This also made the tea stronger and tastier too.
More Like a Habit
And so milk remained. Even as tea became cheaper and more common, so did the habit. It became a matter of personal taste. Black tea brewed strong and bitter was a better drink with milk. Moreover, the softening effect of adding just a little milk turned out to be very nice as well. People gradually came to consider it a symbol of their “Britishness.” It became an integral part of British culture, the nation transplanted overseas.
Now let us look at the United States. In America, though we drink tea, the establishment of tea combined with milk is not as common as in Britain. In the United States, iced tea is particularly popular, and without milk!
However, there are a number of Americans who do take milk in their tea. Though personal habits vary greatly. The cultural influences from different ethnic immigrant groups also contribute to a variety of tea-drinking customs in America.
Yet do British people always drink tea with milk added? No, they do not! While it is a general habit, it is not an unbroken rule. In fact, there are types of tea—such as green tea and herbal infusions—which people usually drink without milk.
It’s a personal choice whether people pour the milk or the tea in first. The tea is stirred slightly with the spoon to blend in the milk. And if you like sweeter flavors, add honey or sugar. It looks like the habit of mixing milk and tea belonged rather exclusively to the British. At least, they are very proud of it, judging by all these adoring feline graphics. Whether you take it with milk or “straight,” just make sure to sip the cup of comfort and pleasure at your ease. So, do you like your tea with milk, or not?
