English Vs. Irish Breakfast Tea: Is There A Difference?

The concept of a "breakfast tea" might be a bit confusing to us Americans. Most of the time, when we drink tea, it's at breakfast — which would make any tea a "breakfast tea" by default, wouldn't it? But in places where tea time is often in the middle of the afternoon, such as tea-loving Britain, a "breakfast tea" connotes a stronger, heartier blend intended to go with a big meal. But then that begs the question of what makes English breakfast tea different from other varieties, like Irish breakfast tea? As it turns out, it's all a matter of where it's sourced.

There is no one set blend, or mixture of teas, that specifically mark a tea as English breakfast (just as there may be no perfect way to pour a cup of tea). The definition has evolved from the beginnings of British tea culture, in the 17th and 18th centuries, when the go-to robust black tea would have been Chinese congou, to the height of the empire, when the Opium Wars caused China to embargo its tea, forcing Britain to import tea from its colonies. Nowadays, the most common blends for English breakfast are sourced from Assam (India), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and Kenya. 

On paper, Irish breakfast tea is pretty similar to its counterpart across the Irish Sea. It's a robust black tea, primarily made with Assam and Ceylon. But, as with many things, it's a matter of ratio. While, again, there is no one standard for either of these teas, Irish breakfast is generally a bit stronger than English breakfast, with a more pronounced malty flavor. That's because Irish breakfast usually contains a higher proportion of Assam, a strong, malty tea. Why is that the case? We don't really know, but some have guessed it's because tea was becoming more popular in Ireland when the British East India Company was first selling Assam, which led to the population acquiring a taste for it.

In any case, while people in England or Ireland may or may not drink these teas at breakfast — in Ireland, for instance, tea is an all-day affair, with the average Irish person drinking five cups a day — they will both serve as an excellent accompaniment to a morning meal. Just be sure to brew your tea before it expires!