International Tea Day: How to make the perfect cup of tea according to experts

There are so many questions to find out, such as, how many cups of tea are consumed every day? What’s Yorkshires’ favourite brew? And do we put the milk in first or the tea?

“Almost one in four people (22 per cent) add milk or sugar before adding the teabag and hot water,” said the Tea Census Report 2022 published by tea experts at the UK Tea & Infusions Association (UKTIA).

According to the Tea Census Report nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of the people in Yorkshire drink black tea, but only four in 100 drink a classic builder’s brew of strong, dark sugary tea.

The report found that nine per cent of people add cream to their tea, and 10 per cent add a plant-based milk.

Although tea can be a thirst quencher as well as a means of socialising, our love of tea runs far deeper as many respondents said that they turn to tea when they’re emotional and cold according to the Tea Census report.

Dr Sharon Hall said: “Tea is a hug in a mug, a loyal friend, and a calming aid…there’s just so much going on when we take time to make a brew.”

The research revealed that over half of people in Yorkshire (56 per cent) see a tea-break as an important time-out and 41 per cent say it helps to recharge their batteries. Half of people in Yorkshire (49 per cent) have a biscuit with their brew, with 22 per cent of tea drinkers dipping into the cookie jar for seconds.

Dr Hall added: “Four in 10 people in Yorkshire (41 per cent) see their tea break as a time to catch up on social media, 34 per cent to chat with work colleagues, 13 per cent enjoy doing a puzzle on their tea-break and three per cent use the time to just sit and think.

“Most of those surveyed were familiar with blends such as Earl Grey and English Breakfast, but Darjeeling and Assam black teas from India were less well known, as were Gyokuro green tea from Japan, Long Jing (also known as Dragon Well) green tea from China, or Oolong tea, which is sometimes described as the ultimate tea if you think you don’t like tea.

“Oolongs, traditionally from China's Fujian province and Taiwan, are semi-oxidised teas ranging from light, fragrant greenish oolongs to dark brown leaf oolongs which yield liquors with deeper, earthier flavours as well as hints of peach and apricot.”

Dr Hall, said: “If there’s something the Brits do well, it’s popping on the kettle and brewing a good cup of tea. It’s a tradition that dates back to the 16th century when Charles II married the Portuguese princess and tea lover Catherine of Braganza.

“Most people in Yorkshire think black tea comes from China (41 per cent) or India (40 per cent) but most of the tea drunk in the UK actually comes from Kenya, although it is often blended with other teas such as Assam tea from India, Ceylon teas from Sri Lanka and black teas from Rwanda and other east African nations.

“True tea from the Camellia sinensis plant is grown in more than 60 countries and can be processed in a variety of ways to make black, green and oolong teas to name but a few, all from the same plant. As a result, there are hundreds of different types of tea to try.”

And the range of choice doesn’t stop there. Around 300 different plants and over 400 plant parts including leaves roots, bark, seeds, flowers, or fruits are used in herbal and fruit infusions. Peppermint and chamomile are the most popular infusions with 41 per cent and 39 per cent of respondents drinking them at least twice a week.

What does our drinking habit say about our mood?

The brew we choose depends on our mood, with three in five people from Yorkshire (57 per cent) confirming feelings are a factor in our choice of tea or infusion. According to the UKTIA Tea Census report, our all-purpose pick is black tea, which we sip when we’re feeling hungry, lonely, nostalgic, bored, sad, angry, motivated, or happy said the report.

Dr Hall said: “A fifth of people in Yorkshire (21 per cent) turn to chamomile when they want to de-stress, and a fruit infusion is a popular choice when feeling dreamy (19 per cent).

“If we were told we couldn’t have tea for a day, 34 per cent of people in Yorkshire said they would be upset, angry or saddened and three in 10 (27 per cent) would miss it terribly.”

Four in 10 people in Yorkshire (41 per cent) surveyed for the Tea Census report told us a cup of tea gets them going in the morning and 16 per cent say a brew helps them fact a difficult conversation or email.

How to make a perfect brew

Want to know what makes the best brew? UKTIA’s Dr Hall has put together a few simple steps to help ensure you make the best brew this International Tea Day and beyond:

• Use a good quality tea bag or loose-leaf tea and store your tea in a cool, dry place.

• Avoid storing tea next to strongly flavoured or perfumed foods.

• Always use freshly drawn water and consider using a water filter. Dr Hall said: “In some parts of the country the tap water is hard or soft and this can affect the taste of the tea.”

• Use one tea bag or one rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup or mug.

• Smart boil. Using your mug, measure out the water you need for one or two cuppas and just boil that.

“This will help save on energy costs and will ensure a good flavour tea which develops best when made with freshly boiled water. The lack of oxygen bubbles in re-boiled water can give the tea a flat taste,” added Dr Hall.

• Allow the tea to brew for the recommended time before pouring, always read the instructions on the pack and if you’re brewing tea from a bag in a mug, adding milk last is best.

• Most black teas should be brewed for three to four minutes, while Lapsang Souchong black tea tastes best after four to five minutes. Brew green tea for three to four minutes and oolong tea for three to five minutes, depending on your strength preference.

• Remove the bag after brewing, before adding the milk.

• Put your feet up, relax and enjoy.

What is International Tea Day?

International Tea Day recognises the long history and deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world, the United Nations General Assembly said that 21 May is International Tea Day, calling on FAO to lead the observance.

Tea production and processing are a main source of livelihoods for millions of families, particularly in developing countries. The celebration promotes the sustainable production, consumption and trade of tea, and offers an opportunity for actors at global, regional and national levels to ensure that the tea sector continues to play a role in reducing extreme poverty, fighting hunger and safeguarding natural resources.

The first observance of the International Tea Day was celebrated in a virtual event that brought together the world’s top tea exporting and importing countries as well as major producing countries where tea cultivation is an important source of revenues.

Tea production and processing represent a source of livelihoods for millions of families, including millions in least developed countries. Tea export earnings help to finance food import bills, supporting the economies of major tea-producing countries.

The specific agro-ecological conditions where tea thrives occur in areas which are highly vulnerable to climate change. Global trade in 2020 was affected by logistics issues and measures imposed to contain COVID-19.

Trade recovered in 2021 as shipments from major exporters resumed. During the COVID-19 pandemic tea sales remarkably increased spurred by purchases for in-home consumption, as tea brought comfort to millions around the world

Increasing in-home consumption of tea more than offset declining out-of-home consumption in many instances. In order to ensure benefits for both people and the environment, the tea value chain must be sustainable at all stages, from field to cup.