Chinese? British? What to chose? What’s the difference?

When it comes to tea, two cultures often come to mind: the British and the Chinese. Though they technically drink the same beverage, there are quite a few differences between English tea and Chinese tea. Here are some of the major differences between these two types of tea:

English Tea is Mostly Black Tea

If you check out the line up of English tea available on the market, you will notice that they are mostly black tea. They are usually imported from India or Ceylon – where the teas are produced. There are many different flavours of black tea, such as Darjeeling, Ceylon, Earl Grey, and a lot more. However, when compared to Chinese tea, you will have fewer options of English tea. For Chinese tea, the options range from black tea, white tea, yellow tea to green tea and herbal tea.

Chinese Tea is Grown Locally

It is a given that the Chinese grow their own tea, so they are assured of receiving the freshest tea leaves. English tea is not grown in the United Kingdom. They are imported from India and even from China. Though the tea is well-preserved, nothing beats fresh tea leaves right at your doorstep.

They Drink Their Teas Differently

This is one of the most well-known differences between English and Chinese tea. The English usually drink their tea with milk and sugar, while the Chinese drink theirs straight up, without any additional ingredients. In this sense, Chinese tea has stronger flavours. The Chinese drink their tea without additional ingredients because they have quite a vast array of flavours to choose from, and most of them don’t really taste good with milk. Take jasmin tea or lavender tea for example. They are not likely to mix well with milk. The English black tea, such as Earl Grey tea, works best with milk and sugar, so the British enjoy drinking their tea this way.

They Brew Their Teas Differently

For the British, the process of tea brewing is quite straightforward. They fill a pot with tea leaves, boil for 3-5 minutes, then serve the drink hot. For the Chinese, different regions have different ways of brewing tea. Some boil it English style while others pay more attention to boiling times, as they want to make sure that the leaves and the flavours won’t get burnt. Some people simply soak the leaves in tea cups with boiling water. For the Chinese, brewing tea leaves depends on the type of leaves they have. They want to maximize the flavours of the tea, so they really study which method works best to bring out the robust and varying flavours of their tea.