Irish Tea

Ever since it was imported into Ireland in the mid-1800's, the Irish have had a love affair with tea.  In fact, according to statistics, the Irish drink more tea per capita than any country in the world.  No matter what the occasion, if you're in Ireland, you're sure to be sitting down to a "cupan tae" at some point.

Until relatively recently all the tea in Ireland came from England, and at first high quality tea was too expensive for the average joe.  Eventually prices came down, and the resourceful Irish figured out how make do with what they had & to blend the cheap stuff, and the average citizen was soon accustomed to strong blends of tea with plenty of milk.  After World War II laws were passed requiring/allowing the import of tea directly from the source, which meant the Irish were no longer dependent on England for their tea.  But still, blending teas is the norm, and many Irish tea companies like Barry's still make their own blend. 

allaboutirish.com says Irish Breakfast blends tend to be stronger than Irish Afternoon blends which have a more mellow flavor.   

An Irish Breakfast Tea might consist of :
    3 parts Assam tea
    1 part Ceylon tea

An Irish Afternoon Blend would be softer with:
    2 parts Darjeeling tea
    1 part Assam tea
    1 part Ceylon tea
    1 part Keemun tea

If you don't want to blend your own, Tea Dog will fetch tea from Ireland for you, specifically tea from Barry's and Bewley's.   Or you can shop at the Irish Food & Gift Store. 

If you want an alcoholic version of Irish Tea, just add some Irish Whiskey and a bit of sugar.  There's also a chocolate version, but that can wait until tomorrow for Chocolate (Irish) Friday.

For more on Irish tea traditions and recipes:
* Irish Tea Traditions
* The Irish Love Affair with Tea
* The Perfect Pot of Tea (Tay)