God Save the Tea!

Brits love their tea! It's like a mild addiction! lol When I first came to the UK I knew straight away I would be offered a cup of tea every half an hour. When in Rome do as the Romans do, as they say, so I joined the gang of tea lovers and drank 6-8 cups of tea daily. Soon, a morning brew accompanied by a few biscuits became my guilty pleasure. 

As everyone around was sipping tea, it was hard not to adapt this social habit. Now I know that a well-made cup of hot tea can blow away the cobwebs.   

My friends asked whether Poles made their tea the same way Brits do. Here's your post about how Poles make their prefect cuppa. It will be followed by a sequel too! Yaayy!

First, check out a few fun facts. Research shows that Poland's annual tea consumption, next to Ireland, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Russia and Germany is one of the biggest in Europe. Tea as such was not a very popular beverage in Poland until the Russian annexations, when we "discovered" the tea can actually taste good. Ever since then Poles started making tea in a Russian style, i.e. having sweet black tea with a slice of lemon served in a tea glass in a metal holder. In Russia, tea was brewed in so called samovars or so to say self boilers in which tea extract was mixed with boiling water in order to make a perfect cuppa. This Russian tradition has completely vanished and you will no longer find a samovar in use, unless you meet a connoisseur. Like everywhere else everyday tea in Poland is made by putting a kettle on and placing a tea bag in your mug. Not a rocket science :)

Drinking tea the Polish way:

Hot Honey Lemon Tea is the most popular flu and cold remedy in Poland. Feeling ill? Add 2 tea spoons honey and half lemon juice onto your cup of tea or strengthen it with a shot of brandy. This tea will quickly cure what ails you.

In some areas of Poland Christmas Tea is served at dinner on Christmas Eve. Its distinctive aroma and flavour are dictated by the choice of dry fruits and spices. Next to ginger, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and clove,  you will taste some dry orange skin, dry plums or apple. All is composing a special blend to serve to guests or treat family with a fresh brew at breakfast to celebrate this festive season. 

Check out the next post for more tea news!